Vali Myers

Who was Vali Myers?

Vali Myers was an Australian artist who specialized in fine pen and ink drawings, born in Canterbury, Sydney.

Myers was a flamboyant artist who divided her life between her adopted home of Melbourne, the Hotel Chelsea in New York City, and a 14th-century cottage in her valley near Il Porto, Italy. She was acquainted with Tennessee Williams, Salvador Dalí, Django Reinhardt, Jean Cocteau, and Jean Genet, among many others. Myers died in Melbourne shortly after being diagnosed with cancer at the age of 72.

On 18 January 2003 The Age newspaper printed an article about the artist's life. The article concluded with the following quote from Vali Myers: "I've had 72 absolutely flaming years. It doesn't bother me at all, because, you know, love, when you've lived like I have, you've done it all. I put all my effort into living; any dope can drop dead. I'm in the hospital now, and I guess I'll kick the bucket here. Every beetle does it, every bird, everybody. You come into the world and then you go."