Homeless Still Human

145 x 135 x 135cm
mixed media silicone, fibreglass epoxy resin and horsehair

The idea of this piece came from sitting down with a homeless man in Sydney. He had run his own electrical company and was married with two kids. A contractor didn’t pay him, things got rough, the wife and kids left him and he ended up on the streets with nothing but the clothes on his back. Being homeless isn’t a choice, nor is it something anyone wants to become. Drugs, alcohol and anger are the mechanisms they use to block out the reality of what has become of their lives. The homeless are avoided and frowned upon and for the most part treated as worthless beings in human society. The reality is they were once husbands or wives, mothers and fathers, or children to someone just like ourselves, but now they wander alone. The concept of this piece was to make people aware of the plight of the homeless, to treat them like everyone else, acknowledge them and smile and show them they aren’t invisible. It’s amazing how these little acts can brighten someone’s day. His parting words to me were ‘I’m homeless but still human’ – Paul Trefry

This artwork has been
Finalist Wollombi Valley Sculpture Festival 2022
Exhibited at Giant Gallery Bournemouth UK 2021
Winner Peoples Choice Winner Incinerator Prize  2017
Finalist Blake Prize 2016
Finalist Celeste Prize  (UK) 2016
Exhibited at Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery 2015
Winner of the People’s Choice at the Salon De Refuses 2015