That man was artist Bodil Friele's father - one
of many Norwegians who served in the RAF during World War Two having fled their
homeland to join the allied forces.
An exhibition of Friele's work, "Prisoner
of War, paintings and poems" runs at the Norwegian Church, Cardiff from
October 26th-
November 12th. The exhibition, which
will be officially opened by The Rt. Hon. Lord Mayor of Cardiff, Cllr Diane
Rees is one of many events being held to mark the RAF's 100thAnniversary.
Lord Mayor, Cllr Dianne Rees said:
"As the RAF reaches this significant anniversary it's an honour to open
this exhibition of fascinating work. Not only does the exhibition
highlight the close links between the RAF and the many Norwegian crews who
fought for our country during World War Two, it also bring us closer to an
experience of war that is vital to reflect upon, precisely because it is so far
removed from most people in this country's everyday existence."
Exhibition Curator, Bjorn Inge Follevaag,
said: "For most of us imprisonment is impossible to understand.
Losing our freedom and being forced to live our lives on someone else's terms
is practically unimaginable. But this experience is exactly what lies behind
the exhibition."
The exhibition draws on the artist's experience
of growing up with a father who she only later, through his diaries and notes,
realised was suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). By
reworking these experiences into texts, images and sculptural forms Friele
addresses her father's history and attempts to show how we can all relate to
this one person's experience of war.
Exhibition Curator, Bjorn Inge Follevaag,
added: "We would like to thank the Norwegian Seamen's Church and the
cultural centre, the Norwegian Welsh Friendship Assn, the RAF, their current
staff as well as all the veterans who are still alive after the war, and
everybody else who has helped us make this event happen."
https://www.norwegianchurchcardiff.com/