Fabulous Darling – Black Asterisk
Elizabeth Hardwick-Smith died in a road accident in Mexico on June 6 2011. She was 42
years old. She is sorely and deeply missed by her family and friends.
Even though we know the circumstances of her death, it remains a mystery. She was on the other side of the world but she was very present to us in her blog, her emails and phone calls. As far as we could see, she was having the time of her life (literally, it turns out).
Lizzie was experiencing new pleasures – she had recently developed a passion for surfing – uncovering new layers of herself. A tumultuous (sparks flew!) liaison with a cowboy called, yes, Rusty in the Texan desert. One got the impression that she was doing the things that she had dreamed of for years.
Then the blog suddenly ceased. The inbox was empty. The phone was silent. We were left grieving and trying to conceive how this could possibly have happened to such a vital, charismatic and galvanic young woman.
The memorial service held for Lizzie at Hopetoun-Alpha surprised everyone there at the breadth and depth of the connections she had made in her short life; the staunch friendships, business colleagues, neighbours, her sisters, father and mother, those that she loved and who loved her. About 300 mourners attended the ceremony on that cold, blustery day.
As you can see, Lizzie had a wide reach. She admired and championed creativity in all spheres and her friends number writers, painters, sculptors, photographers, filmmakers and musicians.
On June 6th 2012 at the Black Asterisk Gallery in Ponsonby Road Fabulous Darling – The Elizabeth Hardwick-Smith Memorial Exhibition is being mounted to celebrate Lizzie and mark the anniversary of her passing.
The artists involved in the show include John Radford, Gavin Chilcott, Gareth Farr, Emma Bass, Emma Camden, David Murray, Elliot Stewart and David Lyndon Brown.
