Nobel Laureate portrait gifted to UWA Library

26 May| 2 MINS

A new portrait of Nobel Laureate Robin Warren has been unveiled in its new home at the J. Robin Warren Library at UWA.

The portrait, painted by Perth artist Jenny Davies was gifted by Mrs Adrienne Marshall to the library in honor of UWA Emeritus Professor Robin Warren.
Prof. Warren was awarded a Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine with Professor Barry Marshall for their discovery that Helicobacter pylori is the main cause of peptic or stomach ulcers and gastric cancer in 2005.

Mrs Marshall unveiled the portrait, noting its resemblance to the subject. “Robin is quirky and has an unconventional approach to life. I think Jenny has captured him perfectly” she said. “It’s as if we’ve interrupted him in the process of learning and he’s engaging with us. There’s a sense of that in the painting. That engaging half smile.”

The artist shared her experience of the process, and why she approached Dr Warren as a subject. “I wanted to paint someone of significance. Someone who has contributed to the world around them. I really enjoyed painting Robin and I’m glad this painting is going to a worthy place” said Mrs Davies.

Dr Warren was delighted with the finished work. “I think it’s amazing, it looks just like me. She even captured my smart watch and my old Rolex”
The event was attended by Head of Medical School Dr Brendan McQuillan, Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery Curator, Dr Sally Quinn and J. Robin Warren Librarian Jill Benn.

The portrait was painted for entry in the 2019 Black Swan Prize for Portraiture and went on to rank as a semi-finalist at the National Portrait Gallery’s inaugural Darling Portrait Prize in 2020.