At first glance, aboriginal art from Australia may seem distant, even irrelevant, amid the skyscrapers of Hong Kong. But artist David Dryden sees a direct link between his work and the aesthetic needs of people throughout Asia.

“Hong Kong people are very particular and proud, just like the aboriginal people,” said Dryden. “The traditional messages in our art are relevant anywhere. We’re all about saving the environment and never taking more of the water, land and resources than we need. The rest of the world can learn a lot from this.”

At OzArt 2007, an exhibition of Australian art scheduled for April 25 to May 9 at the Fringe Club Gallery in Hong Kong’s Central Business District, Dryden will display paintings, boomerangs and the delicately crafted musical instruments known as digeridoos, all influenced by his indigenous background. The two-week OzArt show also features works by the ultra-innovative David Edward Conolan and by free expressionist Derek Erskine.

For two days, on May 5 and 6, OzArt expands to the Bridge Room of the Aberdeen Boat Club on Hong Kong Island.

As Hong Kong’s pollution problems worsen, maybe its people badly need Dryden’s pro-environmental message. “Australia’s also much too polluted,” he said. “We can learn from each other while cleaning up.”

Dryden comes from the Yorta Yorta Tribe of north-central Victoria and across the Murray River into New South Wales.

“Although in demand, aboriginal art is often hard to find around the world,” said OzArt organizer Elsie Edenhall-Ip of the Melbourne-based company Hong Kong on Board. “Dryden creates works that are viewer-friendly, realistic and contemporary, yet still traditional in style and theme.”

For 15 years, Dryden has painted, played indigenous music and crafted items from traditional materials like mallee wood, red gum and box wood.

“I believe in what my ancestors taught me so I try to carry their messages into the future,” Dryden said. “The different paintings that I do, perhaps of a kangaroo, turtle or emu, represent different stories about my country – the rivers, water, trees and environment.”

Much of his inspiration comes from “dreamtime” stories. “The ancestors still show us the way. They give food to our thoughts, and it’s very important to listen to the ancestors and to dreaming.

“I’ve made heaps of digeridoos, boomerangs and paintings that sell around the world, mainly in America, Europe and Asia,” he said. “Many Asians appreciate fine art and the people who create it. For me, it’s a great opportunity to exhibit in Hong Kong and to show the kind of art I do.”

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