ABOUT
I have had a focus
on portraiture as my main theme in my body of work for some time; however, this
has shifted to explorations of new forms and allowed me to apply my skills in
fine painting, technical drawing design and installation as part of my full
oeuvre. Early on I was influenced by Flemish panel paintings of the late Gothic
and early Renaissance periods. Over the years this shifted to Minimalism and
hard-edged abstraction, as well as the Light and Space movement and
sound-scaping. Moreover, architectural concerns infiltrate my practice,
particularly with my current line of enquiry: an iterative painting series
called 'scapes (the word
"landscapes" truncated with an apostrophe), which contain a modular,
pseudo-architectural structure motif located in a minimalist, abstracted
landscape. These works are an attempt at envisioning the aesthetics of
constantly "shifting", which I attempt to enhance by manipulating the
display environments in which they are placed.
My time spent living in Japan twice also informs my work. Japanese aesthetic sensibilities regarding simplification of design as well as scale and colour harmonies are important considerations in what I do. I have also brought the central tenet of Chán (Zen) Buddhism, 無 ("mu"), meaning "nothingness" or "emptiness", into my work. Furthermore, the motifs of my paintings visually embody both the Western and Eastern concept of eternity. In the West it is personified by the "monument", whereas in the East it resides within the notion of "change". I hope for the audience to hold this "philosophy of change" in mind while experiencing my work.
My time spent living in Japan twice also informs my work. Japanese aesthetic sensibilities regarding simplification of design as well as scale and colour harmonies are important considerations in what I do. I have also brought the central tenet of Chán (Zen) Buddhism, 無 ("mu"), meaning "nothingness" or "emptiness", into my work. Furthermore, the motifs of my paintings visually embody both the Western and Eastern concept of eternity. In the West it is personified by the "monument", whereas in the East it resides within the notion of "change". I hope for the audience to hold this "philosophy of change" in mind while experiencing my work.
Self-Potrait, 2020, oil and
gouache on cardboard
I have recently completed a Master
of Fine Arts (first class honours) from Massey University of Wellington’s
College of Creative Arts (CoCA). I also hold a Bachelor of Visual Art and
Design from Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (NMIT) from 2007, and a
Bachelor of Arts at Victoria University of Wellington in 2017 where I majored
in art history, Japanese language and culture, and religious studies.
I am a queer artist based in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington. My studio is located at Toi Poneke, Abel Smith Street, Te Aro.
I am a queer artist based in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington. My studio is located at Toi Poneke, Abel Smith Street, Te Aro.