You Colour My World

She won’t see it, but Celeste’s dream comes true

Emu Park’s Dr Celeste Lawson will never get to see her dream come true. But it will this month at Yeppoon’s Fig Tree Gallery.

The high profile CQUniversity lecturer, former president of the university’s academic board and Emeritus Professor, passed away suddenly two years ago at her Emu Park home.

But during the last few years of her life, she had dabbled in art. Her works will be on show for the first time at a four-week exhibition (from September 22 to October 18) titled ‘You Colour My World’ - fulfilling a dream to have her own exhibition.

Drawing inspiration from her Danish grandmother (a prolific sewer and crafter, after whom Celeste was named) her work features dramatic fabrics, woollen artifacts and colourful pictures.

Dr Lawson’s husband, Christopher, said the exhibition features the works of many subjects that surrounded her life including her pet cat and dogs and family. “Celeste painted, knitted, sewed quilts, made ceramic and photographed. She had many images printed to fabric and was best known for her pineapple designs, paying homage to the Capricorn Coast where she resided,” Mr Lawson said.

“Celeste had pink hair and a colourful personality, hence the title ‘You Colour My World. Over the decades she had taught hundreds of uni students and anyone that knew her would say she was an inspiring woman who really did colour their world.”

Before her academic career, Dr Lawson was a former Rockhampton police sergeant and worked with the Crime Corruption Commission of Western Australia. In her early career, she was remembered for working with teenagers and young people and carried the torch in the lead up to the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games and the Queen’s Baton ahead of the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games.

Works for the art exhibition were assembled by CQUniversity art lecturers Pat Connor and Carmen Gray.

‘You Colour My World’ runs from September 22 to October 18 at Yeppoon’s Fig Tree Gallery.

The exhibition coincides with Yeppoon’s Tropical Pine Fest (October 10 and 11) and CQUniversity’s Annual Dr Celeste Lawson Memorial Lecture (October 10, CQU Building 5, 4pm).

This year’s public lecture titled “Is Science a Pain in the Arts?” will be presented by Dr Michael Hewson.