The artist, known by the pseudonym Vassilieff D., was recognized as an unparalleled master among the best artists in Australia. His works can be seen in the collections of the National Gallery of Canberra and the museums of contemporary art in Sydney and Melbourne.

The artist's real name is Danila Ivanovich Vasiliev. He was born in 1897 in the Cossack village of Kagalytnitskaya, near Rostov-on-Don, into a family of Cossacks. After graduating from a craft school in Novocherkassk, Vasiliev went to the front of World War I. After the Bolsheviks came to power, he joined the White Army, was arrested in Baku in 1920, but managed to escape to Iran. Danila Ivanovich traveled the world for a long time, and even after obtaining Australian citizenship in 1929, he continued his wanderings, heading to South America.

In Rio de Janeiro, he began studying painting with his compatriot, artist D. Izmailovich. Vasiliev traveled extensively along the banks of the Amazon, creating sketches of natural landscapes and scenes from the lives of indigenous people.

His first success came in 1933 when he held a solo exhibition at the Bishop's Palace in Georgetown, British Guiana. After that, he actively exhibited in London and Paris, and then returned to Australia as a well-known artist.

On the Green Continent, Vasiliev created vibrant landscapes of local scenery, sketches of street life, and portraits. By the 1940s, his painting style became a model for young Australian artists. Soon, a group of followers formed around him, calling themselves the 'Angry Penguins.'

In addition, Vasiliev taught at a children's art school and was passionate about studying architecture. From 1936 to 1948, he designed and built his house in Melbourne, which neighbors nicknamed 'Stone City.'

Danila Ivanovich passed away in 1958. His colleague Albert Tucker described Vasiliev as 'a rich and gloomy man, carrying with him the aroma of Byzantium, an icon in the bushes, a gift, a mystery.'