Generous art gift supports Florey brain research
The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health
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Melbourne fine artist and gallery director Antoinette Ferwerda has drawn on her fascination of the human brain to create a stunning painting for The Florey.
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The art donation will support Florey research through a silent auction.
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The Florey’s brain research aims to help improve the lives of people like Antoinette’s art assistant, Evania Klintberg, who is a young stroke survivor.
Media Release
18 May 2026
Generous art gift supports Florey brain research
Key points
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Melbourne fine artist and gallery director Antoinette Ferwerda has drawn on her fascination of the human brain to create a stunning painting for The Florey.
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The art donation will support Florey research through a silent auction.
-
The Florey’s brain research aims to help improve the lives of people like Antoinette’s art assistant, Evania Klintberg, who is a young stroke survivor.
Every so often Brighton East contemporary artist Antoinette Ferwerda will consciously paint with her less dominant left hand to challenge her co-ordination and boost her brain health.
Having studied science at university and worked in the pharmaceutical sector, before making art her profession, Antoinette has long been fascinated by the power of the human brain.
“The brain is complex and incredible and there is so much we do not understand about its functioning,” Antoinette says.
It is not surprising then that the acclaimed artist jumped at the chance to create an exclusive piece for The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health.
Dreamscape is a mixed media painting Antoinette says represents brain activity during sleep. Standing at more than two metres in portrait mode, its sale will support Florey research.
“It’s very important for me to offer this artwork as something that will assist The Florey in its endeavours across all sorts of brain research,” Antoinette says.
Antoinette and Evania
Over the past year, Antoinette has been reminded of the ongoing need for research through her intern and young art assistant, Evania Klintberg.
The RMIT fine arts student had a stroke four years ago at the age of 18 and has since accessed the Florey’s Young Stroke Service to assist in her recovery.
She says she loves Dreamscape and is thrilled its sale will support The Florey.
“The Florey has been there to help me through with therapies, so it’s nice to give back because they’ve done so much for me,” Evania says.
For Antoinette creating Dreamscape is an opportunity to change lives.
“I see the great potential that Evania’s life will have through the research The Florey does and that’s why I’m very privileged and humbled to work with The Florey on this project. It's an honour to work with the Florey and support their magnificent legacy of breakthrough moments, which deliver hope and vital cures to so many people.”
Evania says despite her stroke, her brain still functions normally in so many ways.
“My family and I are committed to my healing and understand improvements in brain health take time and the right opportunities.”
It was Evania’s father Justin who contacted Antoinette about an internship for his daughter.
“My dad went to a lunch and met a person who put him in touch with Antoinette,” Evania recalls. “Next thing I knew I was sitting on the couch in Antoinette’s art gallery, which led to working with her in the art studio.”
“My gallery has always fostered student learning and employs fine arts graduates,” Antoinette says. “I still remember the first time I met Evania. Intuitively, I knew Evania was just like me - a deeply creative soul with a fierce drive to succeed in art.
“I’m grateful to work alongside Evania’s creative talent. I learn from Evania with her drawing and she learns from me with my painting. We get better at what we do individually from being around one another. For me personally, our studio time is productive and fulfilling and my favourite times with Evania include exploring art materials without boundaries, making mistakes and mess as we discover new learnings together.”
“I value Antoinette’s art style as it's so different to mine and it’s nice to come in and get new inspiration every time I enter the studio,” Evania adds.
From art to science and back
While most people know Antoinette as an accomplished fine artist who creates sought-after bold paintings, few people realise art was not her first career.
“My journey from science to art has had its twists and turns. I started in art school, but I really wanted to investigate science. I went back to uni and ended up working in the pharmaceutical industry for 15 years, until I could flip it and make art my profession.”
More than a decade later, her connection to science remains strong.
“I find patterns in nature very similar to what I first viewed under the microscope as a young person. There’s so much in science that we’re still learning and developing and it’s a wonderful connection between both worlds for me.”
Her art, she says, comes from the heart and mind.
“It’s a deep realm that I’m drawing from. The art process is very subconscious, similar to a sleep state. It’s a place of flow, it’s meditative and yet it’s active.”
The Florey’s Executive Director, Professor Peter van Wijngaarden, thanked Antoinette for her inspiring creation and incredible support.
“We are deeply grateful to Antoinette for this remarkable gift and for the opportunity it creates to directly support life-changing research,” Professor van Wijngaarden said.
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Notes to editor:
The Florey is an independent medical research institute devoted to tackling brain and mental health conditions. Our mission is to improve lives through research. We envisage a world where early detection and timely intervention mean these conditions are preventable or treatable, so that we can all live full and healthy lives.
We have more than 50 teams investigating our research priorities: Dementia, Neurodegeneration and Immunology, Stroke and Critical Care, Epilepsy and Neurodevelopment, and Mental Health.
Find out more about us on our website: www.florey.edu.au
Media contact:
Anastasia Salamastrakis, Media and Communications Manager
[email protected] | 0456 666 271
About us:
The Florey is an independent medical research institute devoted to tackling brain and mental health conditions. Our mission is to improve lives through research. We envisage a world where early detection and timely intervention mean these conditions are preventable or treatable, so that we can all live full and healthy lives.
We have more than 50 teams investigating our research priorities: Dementia, Neurodegeneration and Immunology, Stroke and Critical Care, Epilepsy and Neurodevelopment, and Mental Health.
Contact details:
Anastasia Salamastrakis, Media and Communications Manager
[email protected] | 0456 666 271
