When he was 13 years old, artist Michael Angel O could neither read nor write, and he was non-verbal.
But one day his mother heard him singing a song he had made up and realising he could speak, she sent him off to a speech therapist. That was the beginning of his love of art because as part of his therapy he was learning how to draw and paint.
Today, his work, which is a combination of carving and paint, is on display at the Coach House Museum.
Michael is a flamboyant dresser, and his artwork is equally colourful. A frequent theme is animals, particularly birds. He says as a child he spent many hours hiding in trees to escape other people. As a result, his birds are remarkably lifelike. His 3D style enhances that and his work is extremely tactile. Michael says that makes it attractive to blind people who can experience his work through touch.
He learned his carving skills at a Māori carving school in Rotorua and has adapted those techniques to the work he is doing today.
He calls himself Michael Angel O following a spell in hospital in Melbourne when he was a young man and felt the presence of an angel taking care of him. The O is the first letter of his last name.
Michael, who turned 72 on the day his exhibition was launched at the Coach House, says he has been working as an artist for 25 years. He works to a strict daily routine but because of the intricate and painstaking nature of his carving he tries to take regular breaks. Some of the works take many months to complete.
Image: Michael Angel O with one of his works inspired by the sea life off Australia’s Gold Coast.