Antone Bruinsma, an Australian-based sculptor, boasts over 35 years of professional experience in his craft. Having relocated to Australia from Amsterdam, Holland, with his family at the age of 12, his artistic journey began by spending quality time with his father, a Dutch artist and painter, in his art studio.
Following his passion, Antone pursued formal education in art and eventually transitioned into a full-time sculptor, specialising in creating sculptures for both public installations and private collections. He actively contributed to the promotion of public art and sculpture in Queensland and Australia by serving on various committees such as the Warana Festival Committee (Brisbane), the Crafts Council Queensland, and the Society of Sculptors Queensland, where he held the position of president from 1983 to 1985.
Driven by a desire to present meaningful sculptures for public display and private enjoyment, Antone resides and operates from the Gold Coast hinterland. His artistic endeavours have taken him to diverse locations such as Taiwan, China, and across Australia, where he has contributed his talent to creating sculptures for numerous remarkable places and communities.
With a portfolio boasting hundreds of sculptures, Antone finds perpetual inspiration in the creative process. He occasionally conducts workshops to share his passion for art and sculpture with others, while the majority of his time is dedicated to crafting sculptures for private commissions and public art projects from his outdoor studios.
The Building Blocks of Life
This striking piece of public art from Antone was commissioned by and gifted to the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens in 1988 by Besser (Qld) Pty Ltd for the family-focused Spring festival of Warana (now the Brisbane Festival). The sculpture is crafted from local Helidon free-stone (a freshwater non-sedimentary sandstone) and is over 2.4 m high. It depicts the traditional family with the man and woman each with a pro-tective arm around their two young children. There are building blocks on the bottom left of the sculpture beneath the youngest child. The feature of building blocks is that they are highly reliable in terms of structural integrity and provide stability and strength — like strong foundations in life!
