Support, Friendship and Inspiration
Michelle says ‘During the WBG Trustees’ visit to St Andrews, I had a chance to meet Matilda who told me about her collection of Chinese art. I followed up on this brief conversation after my graduation and thankfully visited her and her late husband, Douglas Hall, in their house. They showed me a unique Chinese painting by the prominent Hong Kong painter, Lui Shou Kwan (1919-1975). I didn’t just benefit from the financial support from the WBGT but also gained a new friendship and inspiring ideas for the Trustee.
Meanwhile, I also saw a small painting by Wilhelmina Barns-Graham in my visit to Laurence Binyon’s grandson, Edmund Gray, who showed me family papers of his grandfather and father. We became good friends, and I was shocked by seeing Barns-Graham’s work in a guest room during my returning visit to Edmund’s house in Oxford. He has collected several works by famous British artists, including Paul Nash, Barbara Hepworth and Ben Nicolson. In fact, he introduced me to Hepworth’s granddaughter who came to join us for lunch one weekend.
These were surprising encounters associated with the circle of the WBGT.’
Above image: Michelle with Matilda and Douglas Hall, June 2012.
