About this collection
Ian Highet joined HSBC in London and received his first overseas posting in 1927. He was imprisoned in Stanley Internment Camp in Hong Kong during the Second World War. A keen amateur painter, Highet managed to get hold of some art supplies and produced multiple works during his internment. However, his health suffered terribly due to conditions in the camp. Post-war, despite best efforts, doctors deemed him unfit for work and the bank regretfully accepted his resignation in 1949. Retired from finance, Ian focused on his art, holding his first exhibition in Melbourne’s Tye’s Gallery in 1950. The show featured poignant works that he’d painted during his time in Stanley. Ian kindly donated some of these to HSBC and they still hold pride of place in our art collection today. Sadly, Ian died a few years later in 1953 at the age of 47.
