Artist in residence

Croation born Ante Dabro is one of Australia's finest figurative sculptors.

In his sculpture, as in his life, we find a respect for the form in space, especially the human figure. The well-known curator Peter Haynes, writes of him:

"Dabro is a champion of the hegemony of the figure. For him the figure in all its manifestations remains the most fertile and valuable source for the sculptor. The enormous variety and diversity of his own explorations in sculpture more
than justifies his allegiances. "

The themes in his work are the long preoccupations of universal humanity: suffering, hope, sexuality, heroism, spirituality, the tensions in his work are the long preoccupations of European artistic endeavour: light to dark, solid to space, line to plane, sound to silence, Dionysis to Apollo.

His inspiration continues amongst his many students at the Australian National University's Department of sculpture, and in the sculptures which soar and contemplate, brood and exult in half a dozen countries, dozens of galleries and in lucky private homes. His major works include the Australian naval memorial on Anzac Parade and the La Perouse memorial in Paris.

Ante has created three inspiring sculptures that grace the Brindabella Business Park. The first of his works, 'Susanne', a more traditional sculpture resides by the water feature between 2 and 26 Brindabella Cct. The second, known as 'The Dancing Lady' or 'Ballerina' as Ante prefers to call her, takes pride of place in the Park's main square.

The final of Ante's sculptures to grace the Park is the 'The Bathers'. This project was eight months in the making and features two arresting female forms surrounded by water and positioned on the mantle to a Japanese style garden - a true masterpiece.

Ante is currently working on a fourth sculpture for the Park with an unveiling projected for early 2009.