Damien Shen

with veteran Leslie Brian Kropinyeri

I was glad to be paired up with Les Kropinyeri for the Diggers project as I'd known him for some time through his work in Aboriginal Affairs, but I don't really recall knowing that he was a Vietnam veteran. To see him in this light gives me a completely different level of understanding and appreciation for this man.

To be asked to work on this project was an honour. I felt that whatever I was going to create needed to be considered and sensitive. I didn't see that it was my job to illustrate the horror or the pain related to war, and nor did I really want to do a traditional portrait of Les in the style most would expect from me. I used this project as an opportunity to develop my painting practice and see if I could make a successful painting that was a departure from the tonal realistic work I have produced in the past but still capture Les's character. This work shows a moment in time that Les remembered as a positive among all of the difficult times and it captures all I want to say.

I am captivated by the images of Les as a young man and have found them to be a wonderful reference for creating paintings. I can't imagine what it would have been like to be conscripted into war at the age of 20. What I have learnt is that everyone was the same, regardless of where they came from. The title VIETNAM - ONE IN, ALL IN speaks to the power of camaraderie, discipline and bravery.

Damien Shen

Ngarrindjeri people

Corporal Leslie Brian 'Les' Kropinyeri

Ngarrindjeri people

Royal Australian Infantry Corps - 9th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (9RAR)

Les Kropinyeri, born in 1946, was a conscripted National Serviceman. He served in Vietnam with the 9th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment between 13 November 1968 and 17 March 1969. During its tour, Les's battalion participated in 11 major operations, suffering casualties including 35 killed.