artist in captivity exhibition

The Weary Dunlop and Jack Chalker, Prisoners of War (POWs) – Artist in Captivity Exhibition, opened in April 2016. It brought together more than 100 works commemorating POW experiences on the Thailand-Burma Railway during World War II (WWII). The Artist in Captivity exhibition included artwork from the British bombardier Jack Chalker and memorabilia from Sir Edward 'Weary' Dunlop. The paintings and drawings of POW camps by Jack Chalker are graphic in detail and content. They include images of torture, incarceration, malnutrition and executions as well as medical operations, work life, and camp layout.

Jack Chalker served as a bombardier with the Royal Field Artillery and was captured by the Japanese during the fall of Singapore in 1942. As a POW he was sent to work on the Thai-Burma railway. Here, he met Sir Edward 'Weary' Dunlop, a colonel in the Australian Army Medical Corps in 1944 and together they secretly recorded the atrocities endured by prisoners. The events recorded in Jack Chalker's paintings resonate with deep meaning amongst many Australians. These works are important war records and were used in evidence at the Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal. Over 100 Chalker artworks were displayed in Artist in Captivity as well as Sir Edward 'Weary' Dunlop's war diaries and other artefacts. The collection commemorates the courage of two men to record, at great personal risk, the cruelties of POW life as well as the bravery of fellow prisoners to endure such harsh conditions.

Mission Arts thanks the generous sponsor, Ryman Healthcare, for enabling the exhibition. Through this sponsorship, and the devotion of a dedicated team of Mission Arts volunteers to curate this exhibition, Mission Arts received an award most befitting of their legacy – the Cassowary Coast Regional Council Australia Day Community Event of the Year Award (2016).

Mission Arts acknowledges John Dunlop (son of Weary Dunlop) and Adrian Chalker (son of Jack Chalker) for endorsing the exhibition from its inception and providing invaluable contributions throughout the curatorial process.