Cronulla RSL Sub-Branch President
Cory Rinaldi
Cory Rinaldi was the Anzac Memorial’s debut Veteran Artist in Residence and his work is the subject of the exhibition. Joining the Army Reserves in 1996 and the Australian Army in 1999, Cory’s almost 20-year military career saw him deployed to Butterworth (Malaysia), twice to East Timor, and to Basra (Iraq) on exchange with the British Army.
Sacrifice
“This painting follows my theme of removing the human element from any war subject.
It also came from a memory of while I was serving in Iraq in 2006. After landing in the country, I attended a funeral parade for five British military personnel who were shot down in a Westland Lynx Helicopter over the city of Basra.I decided to use an old, worn-out, crinkled Australian flag to symbolise the immense sacrifice made by so many during my military service. I also wanted to soften the emotional shock of this image by taking away the casket and making the flag uneven so it draws you to the reality that it’s just a flag.”
Cory’s Story
Please listen as Cory shares his amazing story, which spans his years in the Military, his achievements and his challenges.
This is truly an amazing story which we are privileged to hear and be apart of.
A Soldier’s Healing
A Soldier's Healing shares the experiences of Australian veteran Cory Rinaldi through the every-day objects of military life and the architecture of the Anzac Memorial, documenting a journey of service and healing through the creative power of art.
Veteran Artist in Residence Program
The Anzac Memorial’s Veteran Artist in Residence program aims to increase opportunities to promote wellbeing and support veterans through visual art, music, drama and creative writing.
It was developed to provide the time and space for a guest artist to develop work to creatively explore the Anzac Memorial and reflect on service and sacrifice and to ensure that contemporary military experience is interpreted for today’s audiences.
A pilot of the program commenced in May 2019 with the appointment of Cory Rinaldi as veteran artist, culminating in an exhibition of Cory’s work, A Soldier’s Healing on 22 April 2022. The exhibition enabled members of the public to purchase an artwork from the 16 paintings available along with a range of signed prints and exhibition catalogues.
“Being an artist can be a very isolating journey. As a veteran artist suffering from PTSD, feeling isolated and away from society is a daily struggle. This program gave me the opportunity to face that struggle while being supported by fellow veterans and staff from Anzac Memorial. This caring nature and inclusion into the memorial family was the major factor for the success of this program and is the crux for future success.”
— Cory Rinaldi, the Memorial’s inaugural veteran artist in residence
For further information about this and other Veteran programs at the Anzac Memorial, email manager@anzacmemorial.nsw.gov.au or visit https://www.anzacmemorial.nsw.gov.au/veteran-programs
The first of it’s kind.
Cory’s exhibition at the Anzac Memorial in Hyde Park, was the first of it’s kind.