Dorothy Gabori cries when she reflects on the scale of loss her family has suffered, describing the man who deceived her family as a "monster".
Along with her sisters Amanda and Elsie, they spoke to Living Black on behalf of their world-famous mother, the late artist Mirdidingkingathi Juwarnda Sally Gabori, whose her final years were spent joyfully painting, while unbeknown to her, a man she trusted was stealing from her.
Over a three-year period, Sally Gabori had 169 of her paintings sold without her permission.
Kaiadilt artist, the late Mirdidingkingathi Juwarnda Sally Gabori, 2005. Source: Woolloongabba Art Gallery & Mirndiyan Gununa
All the profits were pocketed by Brett Evans, a man she called her ‘son-in-law’ who was also the CEO of the Mirndiyan Gununa arts centre on Mornington Island, Queensland. Evans was the boss at her happy place, where she did all of her painting.
The art agent for the Gabori Estate, Beverly Knight told Living Black the paintings were experiments and never intended for sale.
In court it was revealed Evans sold the artworks directly to buyers, requesting payment into his personal bank account, and falsifying official art centre documentation so the sales would appear to be legitimate.
The true market value of the paintings stolen from the estate of Sally Gabori could be worth millions of dollars, according to Ms Knight. At this point in time, the whereabouts of the missing paintings is a mystery.
While these offences cut deeply, it is the betrayal by someone they all trusted with their elderly mother that wounds the Gabori family to the core.
This investigation by Living Black tracks Evans' fall from grace, tempted by the wealth of the art world which he could never earn as a manager, instead resorting to dishonesty and theft on a scale that landed him in prison.
Before prison, Brett Evans lived in the small community on Mornington Island. He was married into one the prominent families that had a longstanding kinship connection to the Gabori family.
The Gabori's are Kaiadilt people, whose homeland is nearby Bentinck Island.
In the 1940's they were all transported to Mornington Island after a series of storms and cyclones inundated their island, contaminating their freshwater supply. Welcoming them was the traditional owners, the Lardil people.
Amanda Gabori explained the bond, "my dad, when he came across from Bentinck, he was adopted into that family". The Lardil patriarch would many years later become Brett Evans' father-in-law, hence why Sally Gabori called him her family.
Kaiadilt people from Bentinck Island arrive at Mornington Island, Qld, 1948 after storms contaminate their freshwater supply. Source: University of Queensland Anthropology Museum.
The daughters believe their mother, who did not speak English '"would've probably said, oh, this might be a good whitefella here to look after me."
Brett Evans moved to the island as a young school teacher in 1984. Six years later Evans began working as a clerk in the organsation that would evolve into the Mirndiyan Gununa Aboriginal Corporation art centre.
During these early years the art centre struggled for financial viability. Many islanders credit Brett Evans with the idea of encouraging artists to paint in a new contemporary style that had less emphasis on depicting cultural practices, instead painting body art designs or simple features in their Country.
At this time, Elders were invited to the art centre and Sally Gabori, already in her early 80's, joined the group of mostly Lardil men. "Sally came and she brought colour" says gallery manager, Bereline Loogatha. Sally dedicated herself to painting her Kaiadilt Country.
In 2013, Sally Gabori completed her final painting, Thundi, Evans however continued unauthorised sales of her paintings for another year while still employed as the CEO of the art centre. Only after he had sold his entire personal supply of her artworks, did he then resign his position.
Dibirdibi Country 2008 by Mirdidingkingathi Juwarnda Sally Gabori © The Estate of Sally Gabori Source: Alcaston Gallery
Five months later, Ms Gabori passed away.
By this time the community, the family and the artists agent were all gravely suspicious. They raised their concerns with the Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations (ORIC).
An investigation began, ORIC appointed a special administrator to review Mirndiyan Gununa's art centre finances.
Brett Evans was interviewed for three days, claiming that the paintings had been a gifted to him from Sally Gabori, and that he had a document with her thumbprint as his defence.
Members of the Gabori family have told Living Black that they suspect many of the thumbprints seen on contracts and documents are not those of Sally Gabori, who was a petite woman.
According to these family members, many of the thumbprints are too big while other members claim they witnessed Evans physically force Sally Gabori to press her thumbprint onto documents.
Eventually, in 2020, Brett Evans was charged with 35 counts of using his position dishonestly with the intention of directly gaining an advantage, to which he admitted, he had been intentionally dishonest.
The Prime Minister opened the late Sally Gabori's recent exhibition in Paris. Source: NITV
Evans was sentenced in February 2022 at Mt Isa District Court to four and a half years imprisonment with twenty months non-parole.
His honour Judge Dearden stated "the dishonesty was profound", "fundamentally, you have been a cheat...a cheat to a very large sum of money".
The Gabori's are relieved it's all over, Amanda sharing, she holds no animosity towards Brett Evans' wife "I said to her. It's not your fault. It's the husband's fault. He's to blame."
While the Gabori family has been battered by Evan’s theft. Ms Gabori’s creativity is now celebrated in France.
The solo exhibition at the Fondation Cartier pour l'Art Contemporain, was motivated according to the curator Juliette Lecorne, by their view that Mirdidingkingathi Juwarnda Sally Gabori is "one of the greatest Australian Aboriginal artists".
"For some European audiences it might appear the paintings are abstract, or a kind of a form of abstract impressionism as well, none the less her work is deeply connected to her country. The work is beyond what we could perceive as Aboriginal art and Aboriginal painting here in Europe. It’s very powerful and singular," said Ms Lecorne.
The National Gallery of Australia was represented by their Assistant Director of Indigenous Engagement, Bruce Johnson McLean who said "it's really important that First Nations artists are seen in places like this, with so much art, and so much culture."
"The story of Aboriginal art has often been one where we have to go overseas to gain recognition and then Australians appreciate what we do. In this case, having Sally’s work go international and be seen as great contemporary artist will help to really grow that story domestically, to make sure that Aboriginal artists are seen as great contemporary artists, where we live," said Mr McLean, who is a Wierdi man from the Birri Gubba Nation.
Also at the exhibition opening was Sally Gabori's daughter Amanda Gabori, and great-granddaughters Tori Wilson and Narelle Gabori. The ladies reminisced what the great artist herself would have made of such admiration.
"She'd have been dancing and singing with happiness and joy," said Amanda Gabori.
The program can be viewed on NITV’s Living Black, Monday 11th, July 2022 at 8:30pm or on SBS On Demand.
Proud Gabori family members Tori, Amanda and Narelle at the exhibition honouring Mirdidingkingathi Juwarnda Sally Gabori, Cartier Foundation, France, July 2022. Source: Living Black
