Inspiration
The inspiration for the creation of Paintings for a Cause comes from artist Jana Vodesil-Baruffi
Jana, was born in 1957 in Czechoslovakia. At that time Czechoslovakia was
part of the then known Eastern Bloc ruled by communism (1948 to 1989). From
an early age she was encouraged to draw and paint by her father, a creative and
artistic person himself, a Doctor of Philosophy and a Colonel in the army.
At such a tender
age, Jana lived in blissful ignorance of the political and economic instability
of her country. It wasn’t until she
turned 11 years old in 1968, when the Soviet Union invaded Czechoslovakia to
crack down on reformist trends in Prague, when Jana’s world started to change forever.
Another long 21 years of rule by the communist party brought about mistrust and fear in communities as restrictions and corruption grew and animosity and collaborations were born which saw many families cruelly divided. Graduating as an Interior Designer and working in Prague’s commercial shops, Jana had to keep her hobby of painting secret as private enterprise was not permitted. At the age of 23 and without her parents knowledge, under the pretence of a sanctioned holiday, Jana escaped from Czechoslovakia. For her remaining family in Czechoslovakia, this had devastating consequences which Jana still struggles with today.
As a refugee, Jana spent 4 months in what has been described as, appalling camp conditions in Yugoslavia. Enduring fear and intimidation she waited for her papers to be processed which would enable her new life in her new country of Australia to begin. This ordeal has never left Jana and is the reason that drives her to work to provide opportunities to others who find themselves in extreme circumstances.
Now living happily in Australia for many years as a successful artist and educator, she is able to express her experiences through her skills as a painter and strives to tell her stories through her extraordinary talents as an artist exhibiting around the world. Being embraced by the Australian people when she most needed it has left Jana forever grateful to the country in which she now lives. Determined to ‘give back’, Jana has found a way to make the most of her extraordinary talents as an artist and a teacher to help others experience the freedom of artistic expression and the benefits this brings.
This is why Paintings for a Cause was created.
Another long 21 years of rule by the communist party brought about mistrust and fear in communities as restrictions and corruption grew and animosity and collaborations were born which saw many families cruelly divided. Graduating as an Interior Designer and working in Prague’s commercial shops, Jana had to keep her hobby of painting secret as private enterprise was not permitted. At the age of 23 and without her parents knowledge, under the pretence of a sanctioned holiday, Jana escaped from Czechoslovakia. For her remaining family in Czechoslovakia, this had devastating consequences which Jana still struggles with today.
As a refugee, Jana spent 4 months in what has been described as, appalling camp conditions in Yugoslavia. Enduring fear and intimidation she waited for her papers to be processed which would enable her new life in her new country of Australia to begin. This ordeal has never left Jana and is the reason that drives her to work to provide opportunities to others who find themselves in extreme circumstances.
Now living happily in Australia for many years as a successful artist and educator, she is able to express her experiences through her skills as a painter and strives to tell her stories through her extraordinary talents as an artist exhibiting around the world. Being embraced by the Australian people when she most needed it has left Jana forever grateful to the country in which she now lives. Determined to ‘give back’, Jana has found a way to make the most of her extraordinary talents as an artist and a teacher to help others experience the freedom of artistic expression and the benefits this brings.
This is why Paintings for a Cause was created.