Patron of the Arts with NGA and GOMA and owner of Toowong Private Hospital for mental health, Wayne was an easy choice to select as the next subject. Research has proven that art helps the mentally ill and this has lead him to instal paintings throughout his hospital and supply art courses for the patients. Wayne is not a public figure so for him to accept my portrait request required strength of character and a belief that what he is doing is the right thing. A strong, silent leader in the mental health field he lets his work do the talking.
This introspective portrait of Wayne N Kratzmann, was created using “pokerwork”, a hand drawn pyrographic technique to burn the subject’s likeness into the plywood, breaking the portrait down into a collection of tones and individual burn marks. Trost selects his subjects from people whose inner strength has given them resilience in the face of mental health challenges. He hopes that by highlighting people actively working through depression, his art will help to correct misconceptions about this debilitating illness.