Rakai Karaitiana, Darryl Thomson, Daniel Tippett
COLOURS
A Three Man Show
Rakai Karaitiana, Darryl Thomson, Daniel Tippett
8 Nov - 2 Dec 2024
Boyd-Dunlop Gallery is proud to present an exhibition featuring new paintings from three accomplished artists who have strong ties to Te Mata a Maui whom together, inspire and support each other's practices.
The trio have each made and continue to make significant contributions to the arts and their communities. Rakai Karaitiana, a well known figure in Te Mata a Maui, a multi disciplinary artist working in print, paint and textile mediums as well as uku and photography. Daniel Tippett, who is deeply influenced by his surroundings and heritage, Daniel is renowned for his aerosol artistry that encapsulates Māori and South Pacific motifs, showcasing a commitment to both his craft and social commentary. Darryl Thomson is a know graffiti and hiphop artist, also a passionate songwriter and mentor as well as a visual artist. Darryl is dedicated to uplifting young Polynesian artists and advocating for Māori culture, fostering a supportive environment for both emerging and established creatives. Together, they highlight the intersection of art, music, community, and identity.
WESTON FRIZZELL
The White Stuff
5 - 26 October, 2024
Opening on Nuit Blanche, Saturday the 5th of October 5 - 10pm
In 2024 Weston Frizzell marks 25 years of the most sensational, inspirational, celebrational, muppetational collaboration. The White Stuff is a collage aligning classic New Zealand iconography with timeless blockbuster archetype, exploring the contemporary, multicultural common ground of art in our society. What is White?
'White Stuff,' a show of new original works to open at Boyd-Dunlop Gallery. Weston Frizzell is the collaborative identity of artists Otis Frizzell and Mike Weston.
JAE HOON LEE
Cloud Diary
4 - 30 October, 2024
Opening Friday 4th October, 5-7pm
A self-proclaimed cultural wanderer, Korean-born photographer Jae Hoon Lee grew up in Seoul, emigrated to the USA in 1993 to study at the San Francisco Art Institute, and then in 1998 to Auckland, New Zealand, where he graduated MFA (2001) and DocFA (2012) from the University of Auckland’s Elam School of Fine Arts. Lee’s multiple migrations and his preoccupation with expanding technological advances have continued to define and inform his practice. His work makes apparent his enduring concerns of place, movement, individuality.
Jae Hoon Lee’s digitally enhanced, hyper-real landscapes are a composite of images he personally gathers in his travels. While his works initially deceive the viewer with their familiar appearance, closer inspection reveals an acutely subjective engagement with the visual texture of a location, an elaborate visual trick.
Lee’s digital photographs, video installation and sculpture have been exhibited widely in New Zealand and internationally over the past fifteen years, and acquired for both public and private collections. Lee won the Wallace Arts Trust Paramount Award in 2013, including a 6-month residency in the International Studio and Curatorial Program in Brooklyn, New York City; and in 2014 was awarded the Asia New Zealand Foundation’s Cemeti Art House Residency in Indonesia. In January 2012, Antarctica New Zealand Arts Fellowship Programme at Scott Base. Lee lives and works in Auckland, New Zealand.
GROUP SHOW
Plein Air Painters
6 - 30 September, 2024
Opening Friday 6 September, 5-7pm
Featuring Freeman White, John Badcock, Douglas Badcock, Michele Jung, Rosanne Croucher, Sandro Kopp, Clark Roworth, Amit Dutta, Ben Dellabarca,Sam Balzer, William Wood, Sarah Adam, and more.
This exhibition seeks to showcase the work of both contemporary and historical Plein Air painters within the context of New Zealand art, and to provide a clearer understanding to the viewer of the relevance and importance of Plein Air to the history and development of painting in this country.
SHEYNE TUFFERY
Subliminal Archipelago
9 - 30 August, 2024
Opening Friday 9 August, 5-7pm
“A decade ago, I began exploring identity through circular motifs and patterns using computer filters, initially inspired by the deconstruction of Tapa cloth, a traditional Polynesian art form. Over time, this exploration evolved to include a scientific perspective.
During my residency at the Carter Observatory in 2019, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the Moon landings, I immersed myself in the mysteries of the cosmos. This profound experience shifted my focus away from cultural identity and propelled me towards contemplating humanity's insignificance in the vast universe.
My recent artwork arose from collecting found objects during the COVID-19 lockdowns. My son and I made a ritual of gathering feathers, leaves, and other intriguing materials that caught our attention. This tactile exploration not only provided inspiration for my art but also fostered a profound connection to the environment surrounding us.”
GARTH STEEPER
Wharariki
7 - 27 June, 2024
Garth Steeper is one of the quiet, consistent achievers in Aotearoa New Zealand painting. With diligence, an unwavering conviction and indefatigable stores of energy, he has worked tirelessly over the last two decades to create a uniquely textured visual language – unequivocally his own, while at the same time holding space for dialogues with his teachers and sponsors: Delacroix, Rembrandt, Courbet, Bacon and Fomison – the undisputed masters of national and continental figurative oil painting.
Using the coastal region of the South Island’s Tasman District, beaches such as Golden Bay, Farewell Spit, Wharariki Beach, become points of origin for what are primarily mythical works of the subconscious. Of course, the paintings abound with potential for narrative interpretation. They offer any attentive viewer multiple points of engagement to springboard into historical and psychoanalytic readings, but the closer we observe these seabirds, caves, beach fires, sealions, horizons and ghost schooners who inhabit these tableaux, the closer we are to their otherness.
JOHNNY ROMEO
New Radicals
10 May - 3 June, 2024
Opening Friday 10 May, 5 - 7pm
“With my latest body of work, I wanted to focus on hope and optimism, and to help shift the cultural conversation away from the constant feedback loop of hopelessness and negativity. While developing the concept for the series, I rediscovered the uplifting single ‘You Get What You Give’ from the late 90’s rock band New Radicals. The song immediately spoke to me, with its uplifting message of holding on to hope and daring to dream in a seemingly mad world. At the same time, there was a spunky, rebellious attitude in Gregg Alexander’s lyrics that inspired the central concept of my latest body of work: ‘the New Radical’.
Far from the dark connotations we associate with radicalism nowadays, the New Radicals of my work are rebels and visionaries who strive to improve the world around them by standing up to injustice and disrupting the status quo. Straddling the line between the personal and the political, New Radicals is at its very core a celebration of life, and the power that lies within each of us to not just imagine but build a world where love and community thrive”.
BRENT WONG & MARK CROSS
Wong & Cross
6 - 30 April, 2024
Opening Friday 5 April, 5 - 7pm
New and selected works by Brent Wong and Mark Cross.
Brent Wong’s work has variously been described as “surrealistic”, “realist” and “visionary’”. While “‘surrealism” and “realism” may be attributed to certain phases of his work, the artist believes that there is a high level of symbolic content in most of his paintings - reflecting autobiographical material.
Employing elements of the natural landscape, foreshore imagery and the human figure, Mark Cross' artwork imparts an ecological message regarding the human condition and its relationship with the environment. While largely abandoning the figure in the landscape in recent years, Cross has focused almost totally on various imagery of the place where water meets land. In collaboration with other artists, he founded the Hikulagi Sculpture Park in Niue’s rainforest in 1996, a project that is ongoing. Cross maintains studios in Niue and Northwest Auckland.
JOHN BOYD-DUNLOP
Pipe Dreams
19 March - 2 April, 2024
Sketch in the Mind is a collection of spontaneous, colourful and exuberant drawings by self-taught artist John Boyd-Dunlop. Variously described as Naïve art, Outsider art, or Art Brut (Brut meaning raw and unsugared in the wine trade), these terms for art production can be contentious, but fit well here.
John’s creative activity started as he approached the age of 70. He has evolved a personal mythology that is both eccentric and humorous. There are echoes of Surrealist and Folk art, intricate patterns and animal-human hybrids play in amongst enormous florid blooms. Ladies with bouffant hair clutch roosters, the stylised tail feathers arching to form a portrait oval, screeching with colour. This is an alternative reality where cat creatures with painted toenails and jewelry ride into town on a buffalo, clutching its enormous horns, ready for a Helluva Time. New Zealand has its very own outsider art fair where these characters and yarns could find a wider audience of receptive fans. (Karma Percy, 2017)
GROUP SHOW
The Figurative Collective
8 March - 16 April, 2024
Opening Friday 8 March, 5-7pm
New and selected works by Gary Waldrom, Andy Leleisi’uao, Delicia Sampero, and Richard Boyd-Dunlop.
The Figurative Collective could be considered a group of painting activists with mutual respect for each other’s work, exploring ways of sharing their raison d'être.
These artists with different perceptions, sensibilities and interpretations have developed distinctive visual languages over many years of their work. Four culturally diverse artists portray the human form and face in ways which are deeply connected, but not confined to their own experience and heritage. Their creations refer to aspects of the human condition rather than expressing personal narratives.
As they report on how they see the world the artists raise questions through their works. Exploring crises, controversy, and extremes whilst simultaneously exploring beauty, magic, and wonder. The large scale visually captivating creations will invite audiences to connect with the artwork on a deeper level prompting introspection and dialogue. Responses to the work may be beautiful, disturbing, terrible, mystical, transcendental, humorous and fantastical.
Summer Exhibition
Eclipse | A Group Show
16 January - 1 March 2024
Ahuriri Contemporary is proud to present ‘Eclipse’ a group show revealing a collection of new and significant works by a selection of our current stable and guest artists, and also some important historical works.
Featuring: Philip Clairmont, Max Gimblett, Allen Maddox, Seung Yul Oh, Rohan Wealleans, Peter Madden, Hye Rim Lee, Sefton Rani, Marcus Hipa, Dagmar Dyck, Kirk Nicholls and more.
BRIAN CULY
Going Nowhere
8 December - 22 December, 2023
Known mainly for his collectible photographic editions in this new series of oil paintings ‘Going Nowhere’ Brian Culy constructs beguiling cityscapes with paint on canvas. The photographic element remains seen as buildings and scenes have been captured by lens first and then crafted into these partially real and imagined urban compositions. There is a time capsule element to these paintings as time stands still and superfluous detail is stripped back into a soft realism harking back to a quieter time. The kitsch element present in Brian's other artworks, such as in the Dust Collectors series, remains consistent with the retro cars, caravans, and buildings crafted into celebrations of the provincial urban landscape.
DAGMAR DYCK & ERCAN CAIRNS
Re-Generation
14 October - 10 November, 2023
Within the artistic realm exists a timeless connection that defies the constraints of time—an unbroken thread of creativity woven through the tapestry of our ancestral bloodlines. Re-Generation is not merely an exhibition; it is a profound testament to the enduring bond between a parent and child and an exploration of the intricate fabric of intergenerational creativity.
Within the walls of this exhibition, Dagmar Dyck and her son, Ercan Cairns, stand together as artists for the first time, sharing their unique visions with the world. Re-Generation is a heartfelt celebration of the continuum of artistic expression that binds us to our forebears and has profoundly shaped the artists we are today.
Re-Generation is more than an exhibition; it is a homage to our past, a joyful celebration of the present, and a promise for our creative future. In this shared moment, we witness the limitless potential inherent in our ancestral bloodlines. It is an artistic ode to the enduring legacy of creativity that binds us across generations—a testament to the power of creative freedom that flows through our veins and continues to evolve, shape, and inspire.
KEREAMA TAEPA
Whakairoiro
Kereama Taepa has exhibited his work nationally and internationally, and is held in collections across New Zealand and abroad. His design work is seen across Aotearoa also through brands and specialist campaigns, and has multiple public works across Aotearoa. He is a Supreme Award winner of the Rotorua Art Awards 2017, the Molly Morpeth 2D Art Award in 2008 and recently received the Runner Up Award at the National Art Awards 2018.
For the last decade, Taepa has sought to establish himself as Aotearoa’s most leading contemporary Māori digital artist. This has been cemented with his 3d animated work “Poupou Matihiko”, being the first digital artwork acquired in New Zealand's Parliamentary Collection. His work explores themes of digital culture and its impact on Māori culture - and how Māori use technology to further serve the generations of the future. His work utilizes emergent technologies such as projection, 3D printing, Augmented Reality and Virtual reality to tell narratives of the past and the present.
Whakairo encompasses the art of carving within Te Ao Māori. Its origins can be traced back to Tangaroa, the deity of the sea, and the tale of Ruatepupuke. Interestingly, its name is derived from that of the worm. Depending on the source, it may be referred to as a worm, maggot, or bug, but its essence lies in consuming wood. In another narrative, it represents a maggot that feeds on flesh. Through this process, it leaves behind intricate patterns, etching its trails within wood, cartilage, or other materials. Carvers seek to replicate this natural process in order to discover the ancestral forms hidden within wood, stone, or bone.
SIMON KERR
I'm Always Thinking Who Are Saints and Who Are Sinners
27 September - 9 October
Born 29 April 1961, Simon Kerr was 15 when he was first sent to Mt Eden Prison in Auckland. From the 1980’s and spanning three decades across New Zealand and Australia, Simon was the leader of a group of safe-crackers known as the ‘Hole-in-the-Wall Gang,’ and he subsequently staged a number of escapes from prison.
His art is two things: a narrative of his personal journey, and his observation of the world along that journey. Simon is a unique storyteller through his art; painting with vigour and passion while truly opening his soul to the viewer making his work extremely honest and powerful.
During Simon’s last prison sentence from 2011-2015, served at Northland Region Corrections Facility, he started creating art. With limited art materials available to paint on within prison, Simon resourcefully used whatever medium he could paint on; ranging from prison sheets to old bits of board. Having served close to a total of 20 years in prison over a period of 30+ years, Simon’s final release from prison was in late 2015 where he went on to live in Kerikeri. Soon after Simon held his first solo exhibition during which all of his work sold; and was subsequently followed by another exhibition held at the Whangarei Art Museum where Simon was successfully selected from circa 1,000 applicants. A number of Simon’s works were purchased by the Whangarei Art Museum and are exhibited there today.
JIM MITCHELL
Rubber Soul
30 June - 8 August, 2023
Boyd-Dunlop Gallery proudly presents 'Rubber Soul', a retrospective exhibition of Mambo sketches, prints and posters from the hyperactive imagination of New Zealand born artist Jim Mitchell.
100% Mambo launched in Redfern, Australia in 1984 and owed much of it’s success to a group of independent artists who helped translate the passion for surf, art, music and humour into wearable products beloved by many, and still coveted by millennials and centennials raiding their Dads wardrobes. One such artist was Jim Mitchell.
The exhibition will consist of highly sought after and never before exhibited works to purchase from Jim Mitchell's personal collection. The collection includes Jim's entire set of original poster art, painted between 1994 and 2000. Securing the poster brief for each collection was considered the most prestigious commission and the artistic competition stepped up accordingly.
A number of the artworks featured in this exhibition are working drawings, which were step one of a creative process for art to be approved for a graphic story or range, and find its way onto a t-shirt, loud shirt, swing tag or poster. A core group of artists were invited to contribute ideas to each range, this method of sourcing art had the effect of creating intense competition between the artists, with the ultimate effect of extracting the most original, collectable and controversial artworks. These visuals were created before photoshop was widely used, so include literal cut and paste (tape) as Jim tweaked his layouts. Pantone swatches and coffee stains are bonus extras.
Also featuring in the exhibition are limited edition screenprints of iconic works and new release limited edition digital prints, as well as special one off print proofs for t-shirts. This is an exhibition which Mambo fans, art appreciators, bussing artists and collectors will not want to miss.
GROUP SHOW
Cyclone Relief Exhibition
25 March - 10 April, 2023
The Boyd-Dunlop Gallery is hosting a cyclone relief exhibition, with the exhibition running from the 25th of March until the 10th of April. In addition to raising funds for the cyclone relief, the exhibition aims to create an atmosphere where visitors can find solace and healing. It offers a space to contemplate and begin the process of collective healing and seek a way forward.
The exhibition features works from renowned artists from both inside and outside the region who have shown support for the initiative by sending in their contributions. The exhibition is aimed at bringing together the arts community in a show of solidarity and support. Offering an opportunity for the arts community to share love and support as a collective while beginning to ponder next steps.
As part of the Boyd-Dunlop Gallery's commitment to aiding those affected by the cyclone, we have pledged to donate a minimum of 10% of the proceeds from each art sale to the Waiohiki Arts Community Trust. We have also extended an invitation to local artists to participate in the exhibition, some of whom were affected by the cyclone, losing their homes and studios. For these individuals, proceeds from the sale of their works will be directed to them.
This is an opportunity for the arts community to get together, share aroha, support each other, and begin to ask the question where to from here?
Fane Flaws
'Blue Elvis' A Tribute Show
10 - 31 March 2023
The iconic artist Fane Flaws died in 2021, leaving a legacy of prodigious artistic output and a bevy of bereft fans. The 'Blue Elvis' tribute exhibition at Arcade Gallery will include selected artworks including painting, sculpture, and screenprints by the late Fane Flaws courtesy of the Fane Flaws Estate and Boyd-Dunlop Gallery.
The gallery tribute will coincide with the MTG exhibition, Making a Mark: The Work of Fane Flaws celebrates Fane’s unerring commitment to creativity that lifts us out of the humdrum and recognises that whatever he was making, be it television commercials, books for kids, music videos or songs, Fane’s work radiated a spirit that was much bigger than any of it.
Napier based artist Fane Flaws is one of New Zealand's most idiosyncratic and eclectic artists. He is widely known for his quirky, surrealistic work as a visual artist, although his career spanned a huge range of media including graphic design, painting, video and music.
Flaws started painting when taking a break from music on Waiheke Island in the late seventies. He went on to develop a huge body of work and a recognisable style that reflected his vibrant, energetic personality. He was often excited about new projects, and new collaborations. He seemed to channel constant creative energy.
After his passing in 2021 Flaws was recognised as having had a considerable impact on New Zealand cultural history. He exhibited throughout New Zealand in various one person and group shows since 1984, and held over 40 awards for his directorial work in film, music video and television, and his work is represented in private collections within New Zealand.
Some text adapted from the MTG website and Toni McKinnon in the HB Today
EMMA BASS
Spirit of Eden
10 February - 15 March, 202
Spirit of Eden is an exhibition presenting a suite of Emma Bass’ classic Floral Portraits in dialogue with selections from her more recent series, Interrupted Eden.
The Spirit of Eden exhibition by artist Emma Bass at Boyd Dunlop Gallery aims to soothe the soul and lift the spirits while also making a positive impact in the world. The exhibition uses flowers and the interplay of natural and man-made phenomena to highlight the transformative power of beauty. Through her artwork, Bass has created a serene and calming environment that reminds us of the healing power of art, colour, nature and the rhythmic cycles of decay and regeneration.
Research has demonstrated that flowers have the ability to soothe our souls and enhance our overall well-being. Scientific studies have shown that simply being around flowers increases positive emotions, reduces stress, improves overall mood and may promote healing; flowers are the universal symbols of hope and love. Emma’s work is vibrant, poignant and a witness to the temporality of human existence. Through her art, Bass has created a grounded sense of optimism and hope that is calming and uplifting.
As a reminder of the power of art and its ability to make a positive impact on the world, the exhibition provides an opportunity for people to come together and celebrate beauty while also contributing to a worthy cause. Many New Zealanders are currently suffering and enduring in the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle. By supporting this exhibition and work you will also be contributing to our country’s cyclone relief efforts.
PETER MILLER
Reasons to be Cheerful
20 January - 8 February, 2023
Peter Miller can perhaps best be classified as a contemporary still life painter, although he also often works outside of that genre, incorporating narrative based and large portrait work (the latter of the two having become a strong passion for him).
In his still life work he tends to play with old and damaged objects that convey a sense of story and show the signs of time passing whilst also looking for and painting simple objects, objects that he sees a beauty in that may be missed by others, and through painting magnifying their beauty, in a sense placing them under a spotlight for the viewers awareness.
"My work had it's origins in the Dutch Vanitas paintings of the 16/17th century, the period during and following the boom time in the tulip trade in the Nederland. It has changed a lot over time, but I am still probably currently best known as a still life painter. The Vanitas influence is still there but not often obvious, except perhaps to myself. Over time I have brought the human figure into my work more and more, as a potential carrier of a stronger narrative. And now portrait work has taken my interest also, the challenge of trying to capture the essence of a person and personality."
Allen Maddox
Selected Paper Works
5 Dec 2022 - 17 Jan 2023
‘Selected Paper Works’ is an exhibition showcasing never before seen paintings by prominent abstract expressionist Allen Maddox.
Allen Maddox’s career spans over three decades; he is one of New Zealand’s most recognised abstract expressionists. Less inspired and more charged by counter culture, he has been referred to as New Zealand’s equivalent to Jackson Pollock.
This show, viewable at Ahuriri Contemporary in the Boyd-Dunlop Arts Precinct, tames this completely distinctive medium of chaos into a curated exhibition of framed paper works, showcasing the emotional vivids and gesturalism. Maddox’s obsessively recurring ‘X’ improvised in each spontaneous work has become his identifier, which has been interpreted in a manner of ways over the years.
JO BLOGG
Anniversaries
17 October - 8 November, 2022
Jo’s body of work exemplifies her self confessed compulsive and obsessive character. She is a colourist and a master of painstaking repetitive patterns which can be composed on anything from a canvas to an unlikely found object. She often works in multiples and the number one hundred appears time and again in her catalogue raisonné.
JOHN BOYD-DUNLOP
Angels of Nature
2 September - 20 September, 2022
Boyd-Dunlop Gallery art is pleased to present a selection of recent works by John Boyd-Dunlop. These new paper works feature portraits of women, birds and other animals. There is a multiplicity of meaning in these works drawn from both John's personal experiences and his unique view and visual narrative.
ERCAN CAIRNS
Ercan Cairns Solo Exhibition
15th July - 5th August, 2022
The Exhibition will feature recent paintings from Auckland emerging painter Ercan Cairns.
Ercan Cairns is young and inspiring. His creative process is incredibly intuitive with freedom, energy and focus. He is influenced by American Abstract artists and adopts as they do, he does. The marks and forms are made from the movement of the whole body and emotion of the subconscious allowing the paint to flow on the surface. Forms being the idea of body and soul.
ISAAC PETERSEN
'Beneath The Sunshine'
19th May - 12th June, 2022
'My work is a culmination of stories from my life, my home, and the places I have been. Since I can remember the ocean and rugged landscape of where I grew up in New Zealand have inspired me to paint landscapes and the sea. These paintings kick-started my career as an artist in my early twenties.'
'Since travel being a part of my adult life, my paintings expanded to capture the ‘story” of places abroad in the last few years. I began painting my wife, Erika, as a figure to add depth and connection to a beautiful surrounding, often water.'
These paintings depict places and scenes which evoke positive feelings and radiate beauty. Serene utopias in which the viewer can become immersed.
Patrick Tyman
'Sunflowers'
25th April - 16th May, 2022
As meditative as they are exhilarating, Patrick Tyman’s works are a real visual treat for the eyes. Often portraying bold florals amidst a dream like landscape, Patrick takes the native flora and fauna of New Zealand and the vibrant colours of the South Pacific as his muse.
Richard Wood
Between Worlds
18th March - 8th April 2022
Photography, once often used as a medium to take us to places we weren’t or could not be, now forms a foundation where the work can now be pushed far further to take the viewer far, far into the mind of the artist.
Richard Wood uses photography as a foundation to create characters and worlds derived from a deep exploration into the artist's mind. His works are often full of direct narrative yet also allegory. As you stand in front of the art, you stand at the window to Richard's imagination. You witness something that doesn’t exist, but does. You stand Between Worlds.
The addition of augmented reality allows Richard to push his creations even closer to the virtual reality that exists in the created environments in the artist's mind. Within these environments you meet the divine characters that are Richard Wood's personification of a world you exist in.
