Ms van Blommestein, whom guests described as extremely knowledgeable, took Rostrum members into the fascinating artwork of Stern, who had a range of exceptional art skills including making sculptures and paintings.

According to Ms van Blommestein, at age 15, Stern knew what she wanted to do with her life: she loved to draw and paint.

“Stern, an expressionist, found interesting people and incredible things that inspired her to paint.

She also travelled extensively in Europe and explored South Africa, Zanzibar and Congo, where she met new people and translated some of the stories she came across into paintings and sculptures. read more