HAWKINS, WEAVER (1893-1977)

“Bible Study” (c.1945-55)
Oil on canvas
43 x 35cm
Details on verso
*gift from the artist, thence by decent 
(George Duncan & Alison Rehfisch)
 
Hawkins was a leading, award-winning Australian Modernist. He studied at the Westminster Technical Institute & School of Art from 1919-1922, & studied etching with Sir Frank Short. His first solo exhibit was held in 1923, and his work was displayed in the Royal Academy of Arts. From 1923 until 1935 Hawkins, his wife & children traveled widely in France, Spain, Italy, Malta, Tahiti and NZ before finally settling in Australia. In 1927, to avoid public perceptions of being identified as a 'wounded artist' rather than an artist in his own right, Weaver signed his paintings 'Raokin,’ (the Italian phonetic pronunciation of 'Hawkins') although he later became more popularly known as Weaver Hawkins. From 1941-1972 Hawkins had several exhibitions in Australia, especially with the Contemporary Art Society of Australia and the Sydney Printmakers. He was given several solo exhibitions at the Macquarie Galleries & the Eva Breuer gallery. In 1976, a retrospective exhibition of his work was held at the AGNSW. Weaver was a member of various art societies. He was a founding member and a president of the Contemporary Art Society, & a founding member of the Sydney Printmakers group, the first society of printmakers established after the end of the etching boom in the late 1930s. 
 
This work was given to Australian Artist couple Alison Rehfisch & George Duncan as a gift when they worked together at the Contemporary Art Society in the early 1950s (Hawkins was President, Duncan was Treasurer). The work reflects Hawkins' interest in religious themes during this period, producing several major finalist works for the Blake Prize of Religious Art.