A highly regarding motivational speaker, Lorin Nicholson has developed an extraordinary ability to communicate, teach and connect people of all ages and backgrounds.
At age four, doctors diagnosed Lorin with a genetic eye disease called retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and with only 10 per cent sight, was declared legally blind. Despite the enormous challenges of growing up with vision impairment and what Lorin calls the pessimistic views and low expectations of so many, it soon became obvious that Lorin possessed an incredible inner strength, resilience and determination to share his knowledge and experience with audiences around the world.
In 2021, Lorin was awarded the Order of Australia Medal to add to distinguished achievements including Australian of the Year nominee, Queensland service award recipient and Baton bearer for the 2018 Queens Batten Relay.
In April 2010 Lorin and his younger brother Dean created Australian history, becoming the first blind persons to ride more than 4100 kilometres (2575 miles) across Australia in a four-week journey from Perth to Sydney.
Cycling is a large part of Lorin’s life, and his visual memory is of this ride from Tamworth to Port Macquarie, on his own, at just 16 years of age. He can recall the scenery – mountains and rolling hills, and colours of dusk and dawn. Artist Robert Brownhall has painted this memory with the grey mountains in the background with green hills in the foreground.
Experience the immersive artwork soundscape:
Artist
Robert Brownhall
Robert Brownhall is a realist painter, inspired by his local environment.
In a career spanning more than 20 years, Robert has developed a unique, quirky style and a birds-eye view of scenes, characterised by a strong connection to place, moody nocturnes, broad sweep panoramas and gritty vignettes of urban life. His art is inspired by urban scenes and recreational areas in Brisbane and on the nearby Gold and Sunshine Coasts, to the ski slopes of New South Wales, and the New England Highway and Sydney.
His paintings have brought to life a poetry associated with these areas of work and play in Australia.
Composer
Lorin Nicholson
Lorin Nicholson is a successful independent recording and performing artist, with five albums to his credit, a golden guitar nomination, and three Frater awards for excellence in the touring performance program. He won 2015 music producer of the year at the Australian Celtic Music Awards.
Lorin’s skills as a guitarist has earned him a lead-line endorsement with the prestigious Martin & Co Guitars, FBT audio, fishman amplifiers and Rode Microphones, as well as hundreds of newspaper articles, radio and television interviews and appearances including 60 Minutes and Channel Nine’s nationally televised Carols by Candlelight.
The subject of an art piece for Last Seen 2023, Lorin is composing his own music for the piece, looking to capture his mountain climbing journeys in music.
