Perth Collector Ian Bernadt: Six Decades of Giving and Collecting
Ian Bernadt, a retired medical expert and notable private art collector from Western Australia, has dedicated over sixty years to amassing a varied collection that features Indigenous Australian art and Japanese prints. His passion for art was ignited in Cape Town when he received a gift from artist Gregoire Boonzaier. After relocating to Perth in 1973, he began acquiring works from renowned artists such as Guy Grey-Smith, Sidney Nolan, and Brett Whiteley. Alongside his late wife Sue, he contributed hundreds of artworks to various institutions, particularly the Art Gallery of Western Australia (AGWA), which honored them by naming a space after them. Among his significant donations is a 36-piece collection by Rosalie Gascoigne, and his most recent acquisition is a Japanese portable shrine, believed to outshine those housed in the British Museum.
Key facts
- Ian Bernadt is a retired medical specialist and philanthropist based in Perth, Western Australia.
- He has been collecting art for over sixty years, starting with a Japanese print given by artist Gregoire Boonzaier in Cape Town.
- He migrated to Australia on the SS Marconi, arriving in Perth on 19 September 1973.
- His first Australian purchase was a painting by Guy Grey-Smith.
- He has owned works by Sidney Nolan, Russell Drysdale, Jeffrey Smart, Charles Blackman, John Brack, and Brett Whiteley.
- He donated about 20 wayang puppets to the WA Museum.
- The Art Gallery of Western Australia named a space after Ian and his late wife Sue Bernadt.
- He donated a 36-piece work by Rosalie Gascoigne titled 'Plein Air' to AGWA.
- His latest purchase is a Japanese portable shrine.
- He advises collectors to wait 24 hours before buying and to choose the best work, not the most expensive.
Entities
Artists
- Ian Bernadt
- Gregoire Boonzaier
- Guy Grey-Smith
- Sidney Nolan
- Russell Drysdale
- Jeffrey Smart
- Charles Blackman
- John Brack
- Brett Whiteley
- Howard Taylor
- Stan Ostoja-Kotkowski
- Owen Lade
- Sally Gabori
- Rosalie Gascoigne
- Wim Boissevain
- Robert Juniper
Institutions
- Art Gallery of Western Australia
- WA Museum
- British Museum
Locations
- Cape Town
- South Africa
- Perth
- Western Australia
- Australia
- United Kingdom
- Bali
- Indonesia
- Swanbourne
- Pilbara
- Queensland
- Tasmania
- South Australia