NICOLE MARTIN
Malaria, Search for Their Story
Coloured pencil & Ink on board
30.5 x 40.5cm
This coloured pencil and ink artwork draws inspiration from researched documents and photos once owned by my grandfather. Bringing some of these photos to life in full colour suggests that this forgotten story is resurfacing.
In the documentation emerge the words ‘experiment’ and ‘malaria’. A group photo of nurses and patients, with my grandfather’s handwriting of their names on the back—a poignant reminder of their shared sacrifice. Alongside others, they were subjected to traumatic medical experiments and endured pain long after. This artwork, inspired by those images, preserves not just the narrative but those shared experiences.
This artwork began as my personal journey, researching the story of his time in the malaria experiments. In my pursuit, I discovered a heartfelt narrative interwoven with a profound love for country and fellow comrades, their story masked by missing and redacted documents.
As the pages of time threaten to obscure not only their names but also their courage for their comrades and community, this artwork serves as a testament to the indomitable spirit of those patients. Ensuring that their stories and names are acknowledged, honouring a somewhat unknown part of our history, will hopefully spark interest and begin to preserve their story.
