In 2013 and 2014 Euan was part of two artist expeditions to Gallipoli which included artists form both Australia and New Zealand. The idea was to view and absorb the landscape, paint en plein air and later back in the studio, and produce works for exhibition for the centenary of the Gallipoli campaign. The artists were informed by personal reading and research and the group was accompanied by Brad Manera, Executive Manager and senior historian for the Anzac Memorial in Sydney, who brought alive battles and anecdotes from the ill-fated campaign, giving the artists a greater understanding and depth of knowledge, not to mention feeling, for the tragedy that unfolded.

The title of the exhibition, Your Friend the Enemy, arises from the signing off of a letter received by a group of soldiers which included the grandfather of Idris Murphy, one of the artists on the trip, from Turkish soldiers not far off across the trenches. Idris Pike, Idris Murphy’s grandfather wrote a letter to his then girlfriend (later, wife) and told the story of an exchange of gifts between the Anzacs and the Turks during a short ceasefire.

Transcript of letter by soldier Idris Charles Pike, Gallipoli, 1915

My dearest Violet,

I received your welcome letters by today's mail and was very pleased hear you received my letters quite safely from Egypt, as I used to write regularly every week. We had some fun in the trenches this morning, as you know only a few yards separates us from the Turks, so we threw some tinned beef and jam over to them, they soon raked them in to their trenches, and in return they threw tobacco and cigarette papers. A couple of the parcels had notes in them written in French, one ran something to this effect. Your Friends the Enemy. We received your preserved meat, and send in return tobacco-- would be pleased if you could send souvenir, and we will do the same, could you spare a good knife we would be pleased. Your soldier Friends Turks. We threw them a knife and got some more tobacco and papers.

We finished up with a message saying that we were going to end the armistice in a quarter of an hour by throwing a bomb and after that it was on as usual. By the way they write you can see they have a great respect for us. Well about yourself, you say you have your old complaint coming on again. That is no good you must look after yourself more. I would have liked to have been with you at the picnic, I bet you did enjoy yourself alright. I had a letter from the club last week and they sent best wishes, also saying they would be pleased if we were back with them again as they have had someenjoyable times lately. Must leave now as two pages is the limit.

Kindest regards to all at home. Au Revoir Forever yours . Charlie.  Wishing you all a Merry Christmas.  Sorry I can't get up for tea Xmas day, can't get the day off, too busy.

The artists on the trip were Deirdre Bean, Elisabeth Cummings, Steve Lopes, Guy Maestri, Euan Macleod, Idris Murphy, Michael Nock, Peter O’Doherty, Susan O’Doherty, Stanley Palmer, Amanda Penrose Hart, Leo Robba, Luke Sciberras, Michael Shepherd, Jonathan Throsby and John Walsh .

A Salute – Aussie soldier from 1915 meets young Turk in 2015, an exhibition of drawings by a number of the artists, is on at Goulburn Regional Gallery from 18 April until 2 May.

Your Friend The Enemy – Anzac Cove through Fresh Eyes, curated by John McDonald, is on at the S. H Ervin Gallery, Sydney, until 24 May.

Return to Anzac Cove – Your Friend the Enemy, curated by Terence Maloon, is on display concurrently at Drill Hall Gallery in Canberra displaying works from the expeditions to Gallipoli. The exhibition runs from 11th April - 17th May 2015

The Skeleton Watch - Euan will be exhibiting further works based on his time at Gallipoli at Watters Gallery, Sydney, from 17 June until 4 July 2015.

A special edition of Artist Profile magazine was produced in tandem with the exhibitions.