Adriano Gemelli: A Life in Art

Adriano Gemelli began his artistic journey in the early 1970s at the renowned Dunmoochin artist colony, founded by Clifton Pugh. One of the few artists granted a studio at Dunmoochin, Gemelli spent seven formative years immersed in this hub of creative exchange. During this period, he produced prints for Pugh and developed his own painting practice, influenced by some of Australia’s most celebrated artists—including Fred Williams, John Olsen, Frank Werther, John Perceval, and Frank Hodgkinson—who were frequent visitors to the colony.

Following a successful exhibition at Dunmoochin, Gemelli travelled to Europe in 1976 to broaden his artistic horizons. His studies encompassed fumed glass and iridescence, Islamic art, Greek mosaics, and Turkish tile-making. In Spain, he explored the works of Goya and Gaudí, further enriching his visual language.

Upon returning to Australia, Gemelli held numerous solo exhibitions across New South Wales and Victoria. He became a prominent figure in the arts community, serving on the committee of the Victorian Contemporary Art Centre for five years and later as Chairman of the Victorian Artworkers’ Union in the early 1980s. In 1984, he was appointed to the UNESCO Steering Committee of the International Association of Artists.

Gemelli’s sculptural work gained national recognition in 1981 when he was invited to participate in the inaugural Australian Triennial Sculpture Exhibition at La Trobe University. His monumental installation, Any Way But Out (40m x 40m), featured a steel mesh structure resembling a house with angled walls that created a moiré effect. At its centre, a boat enclosed by a glass fence served as a powerful commentary on social values and environmental issues.

In 1983, through the Victorian Ministry of the Arts’ Artists in Schools program, Gemelli created a large-scale mosaic for the Glendonald School for Deaf Children. Spanning 18 by 6 metres, the work incorporated mirror, black glass, fumed and etched glass, acrylic, and metals. Other major public commissions include war memorials in Frankston and Dandenong.

In 1984, Gemelli was appointed Art Co-ordinator and Consultant for Victoria’s 150th Celebrations, working with the Ministry for the Arts, and also undertook various teaching and lecturing roles. In 1992, he was invited to exhibit in the National Gallery of Victoria’s group exhibition Rubens and the Italian Renaissance.

The early 1990s marked a turning point in Gemelli’s practice. Inspired by an exhibition of works by Hundertwasser, he initially experimented with metallic hot stamping foils but found the medium too restrictive. His pursuit of greater flexibility led him to reflective holograms, which offered a dynamic and shifting spectrum of colour. Determined to master this new material, he developed a unique technique that allowed him to draw and form with reflective holograms as fluidly as with traditional media.

In 1998, Gemelli was granted a patent for this process and began work on the Sea & Water series. Over the following years, he continued to exhibit innovative works that combined holographic material with other media, including gold and silver—further cementing his reputation as an artist committed to reinvention and exploration.

Throughout his career, Adriano Gemelli has remained a restless and evolving force in the Australian art world, consistently pushing the boundaries of material, technique, and vision.