‘Jana Hawkins-Andersen and Enid Hawkins Apartment’ Photo story by Rafaela Pandolfini
91 year old Enid Hawkins is Margel Hinder & Frank Hinder’s only daughter. She trained as a physiotherapist and has been expertly and lovingly managing her parents estate for decades.
Her apartment and courtyard are completely full of works by Margel Hinder (including many maquette’s of well know civic sculptures)
Frank Hinder (works on paper and lunar kinetic sculptures)
Weaver Hawkins (Enid’s husband Laric’s father)
& @janahawkinsandersen ceramics amongst hundreds of archival and current family photos.
Enid recounted vivid memories of her childhood surrounded by artists and architects around the Cameray area and the bird bath that Frank made, spending time in Penrith with artists Margot and Gerald Lewers and being sent away to safety during the 2nd world war.
In her new apartment which is more accessible than the family home she lived in prior, Enid misses the birds and access to nature. Jana and Enid talk about the collaborative relationship between Margel and Frank. You can see how their work intertwines through experimental uses of light and movement in otherwise very static mediums, throughout the collection of work that Enid has displayed in her home. Jana’s artwork has a little bit of both I think, an experimentation with material and movement.
Enid married Laric Hawkins whose father was also an artist; Weaver Hawkins. Despite her degree Enid never practiced physiotherapy, instead supported her husband Laric’s geology career by moving interstate and overseas often and caring for her three children. She tells a story about living in Belgrave in Melbourne in the 50s with three children on her own while Laric worked a lot and the loneliness. Towards the end of the stay she got a reprieve and was able to attend the 1956 Olympics which she recounts with excitement.
Enid is super stylish and an inspiring matriarch. She is whip smart and at the age of 91 offers an extremely clear and valuable insight into an iconic artistic family whose lives offer an insight into the creative history of Sydney that isn’t mined enough.
We shared a chardonnay and I felt really lucky to get such a personal insight into the family dynamics of the very stylish Hawkins’ women. Including family tête-à-têt about Jana’s dad including a quick call to check in, another artistic relative who has sent Enid a catalogue on their mystic artwork and Jana giving Enid a quick facebook tutorial on notifications.
