The Conservation Team

The conservation team for this project is led by Adam Godijn and Arek Werstak. They are supported by Matteo Volonte, Noel Turner, Anna Diakowska-Czarnota* and Melissa Harvey*. This team has extensive experience in the conservation of wall paintings and icons on canvas and timber supports.

* Anna and Melissa will only work on paintings outside the Sanctuary.

Adam Godijn is Senior Paintings Conservator at ICS, and is experienced in managing large conservation projects. He has conserved paintings and frames for major government institutions around Australia including Australian Parliament House, National Library, National Portrait Gallery and the State Library of NSW.

Arek Werstak is a paintings conservator who has previously lived and worked in Greece for several years as a conservator. He has experience with the conservation of Greek Icons and wall paintings. Arek is also fluent in Greek. Arek has 30 years of conservation experience worldwide and has worked on many large wall painting projects. These have included the Childrens Chapel at St James’ King St, Sydney and the painted chancel at St Marks, Darling Point Sydney.

Matteo Volonte is a paintings conservator from Italy, who trained in Milan and has extensive experience on wall paintings and frescos. He is attributed with re-discovering important frescos beneath layers of plaster at the “Santa Maria Della Torre” in Sovere, Italy. He then spent several years revealing these frescos and conserving them.

Anna Diakowska-Czarnota has over 35 years experience in painting conservation on icons, panel paintings and canvas paintings. After teaching painting conservation in Poland she joined ICS and has worked in Australia for 20 years. Major projects have included the Kalgoorlie Boulder “Goatcher” stage curtain, the Childrens Chapel at St James’ King St Sydney and the restoration of the highly ornate interior of “Swifts” in Darling Point Sydney.

Melissa Harvey is a frames conservator and assistant paintings conservator, and has been involved in the arts world for the past 12 years.

Noel Turner has worked as a paintings and frames conservator with almost 12 years of paintings conservation training and experience.

Adam Godijn
Senior Paintings Conservator
International Conservation Services