Artists Directory
Artists in New Zealand
Browse listed artists across New Zealand — painters, sculptors, makers, and more. Starting in Northland, with more regions joining artists.org.nz over time.
Showing 24 of 64 artists
Painting & Drawing
Jessie Rose
Whangarei, Northland
I am Jessie Rose, a dedicated artist specialising in painting and drawing. Following the loss of a loved one in 2015, I embraced the honour of hand-painting caskets and urns through my 'Forever Love Caskets' service, partnering with leading North Island funeral homes to create meaningful tributes. In 2017, I founded 'Inspire' from my studio in Kamo, Whangarei, offering art classes for adults and children aged eight and over. With 13 weekly sessions—including daytime, after-school, and evening options—I nurture creative thinking, build confidence, and celebrate individuality, showing students it's perfectly fine to embrace their uniqueness, just as I do in my own artistic expressions. My boutique store in Kamo showcases original artworks, alongside prints and merchandise derived from my paintings.
Painting & Drawing
Jocelyn Friis
Kaipara, Northland
Jocelyn Friis is a New Zealand-based painter creating semi-abstract land and seascapes from her coastal studio in Mangawhai. Working in acrylic and encaustic, she explores the tension between nature’s resilience and vulnerability, reflecting our relationship to it. Originally from Cape Town, South Africa, Jocelyn draws on her Steiner education and deep connection with nature to inform her art. A four time award-winning artist and CreativeNZ grant recipient, she has exhibited widely across New Zealand and more recently the UK. Jocelyn is also a qualified facilitator for Art & Creativity for Healing and holds workshops both in person and online.
Photography
JudyStokesPhotography
Kaipara, Northland
Judy an artistic photographer, has always been inspired by the ocean and it was while living in Muriwai that she honed her craft of expressing the moods of the ocean and it’s edges with her camera. Judy now lives in Northland on a remote clifftop overlooking Ripiro Beach where her love affair with the ocean’s edges and creativity continue. She loves the technique of Intentional Camera Movement (yes simply moving your camera as you take an image) and find it suits her impatient & free spirited character as well as simplifies scenes resulting in an evocative and artistic expression that looks more like a painting than a photograph. Judy also often expresses her love of the wildness of the New Zealand and it's wildlife in a more traditional photographic style, yet still equally as evocative as her creative work. Judy is enthusiastic about sharing her techniques and gives photography workshops around New Zealand, Australia and more recently in Northland from her wild seaside clifftop. She has won awards nationally and internationally for her work...and has images enjoying homes around the world.
Painting & Drawing
Julia Newland
Whangarei, Northland
Julia Newland lives and work from her home studio in the Whangarei Heads. Using mainly oil paint and pencils for her art making. She is always wanting to intrigue herself. A direction started…not always the finish. But each part tucked away in the end work. Sometimes visible. Sometimes not
Textiles & Fibre Arts
Karen Williamson
Kaipara, Northland
Karen is a textile artist working with natural dyes and botanical contact prints on fabric. She is the sole creator and owner of Ake Ake Shrouds, Aotearoa's first and only artisan shroud making business. Using plant dyes and natural fibres, Karen creates bespoke funeral shrouds with a sustainable kaupapa and as an ex palliative care nurse also provides a wrap around service to help whānau navigate their funeral planning. She advocates for natural burial and family led death care. Her shrouds can be bought online, or personalised by commission using plants that are significant to the client. Enquiries and studio visits are always welcome. Shroud purchases are made through the Ake Ake Shrouds website
Painting & Drawing
Kellie Edwards
Far North, Northland
Kellie Edwards is a figurative and landscape artist based in the Far North of New Zealand, working primarily in expressive oils and pastels. Since childhood, Edwards has been curious about the universal traits we share: belonging, family, community, love, curiosity, memory, storytelling, voice, purpose, and creativity. Core to her art making is recognizing that these qualities link us, and through her expressive oil and pastel paintings, she shines a light on and celebrates our shared humanity, creating a dialogue that resonates with the heart and mind . Through her mastery of oils and pastels, Edwards reveals the sacred within the ordinary, transforming hands into vessels of story, landscapes into theatres of emotion, and figurative works into windows of shared experience. This interplay not only enhances the visual experience but also evokes layers of meaning that provoke thought and emotion for her viewers. Studying Art & Design full time at Auckland Technical Institute in the early 1990s, Edwards finished top of her class under the tutelage of Nancy de Freitas. She then took up a scholarship offered by the Auckland Society of Arts, majoring in painting with critique from Sylvia Siddell, Ian Jervois, and Sue Daly. Edwards' work has exhibited in national touring exhibitions, and she has won awards in national and international art exhibitions. She is a two-time winner of the National Exhibition for Pastel Artists of New Zealand, receiving the prestigious Unison Colour Cup in both 2013 and 2023. In 2019, she was juried as an Associate Member of the Pastel Society of America, an international distinction recognizing excellence in the medium. Edwards has held solo exhibitions and been selected as a finalist in numerous highly regarded art competitions. Edwards' work is collected internationally, with paintings held in prestigious private collections across New Zealand, the United Kingdom, America, and Hawaii. Her global reach demonstrates the universal resonance of her artistic vision. Commissioned pieces feature in esteemed collections, and her paintings are represented in galleries throughout Northland and Auckland. Edwards operates her studio and gallery at Whangaroa in Northland, where she continues to explore the profound connections that unite us all through her art
Painting & DrawingManaged profile
KEVKEA SPILL
Whangarei, Northland
Specialising in Painting & Drawing, I create art that captures the essence of nature through an illustrative style. Whether working in watercolours, acrylics or other media, my pieces reflect my deep love of nature and my extensive background in animation and graphics. In the realm of Painting & Drawing, I strive to produce works that are both visually appealing and thought-provoking. My experience in animation and graphics informs my approach, allowing me to blend technical precision with artistic expression. This unique combination enables me to produce compelling artworks that resonate with audiences who appreciate the natural world depicted in Painting & Drawing.
Sculpture
Kristin Kay
Whangarei, Northland
Born in Auckland, New Zealand, Kristin moved up to Whangarei around 2001 and studied visual arts and obtained a bachelor degree specialising in ceramics, since then has evolved her practice to be a unique one. The studio is a place to strive, improve techniques, test my boundaries, limits, and as expected, to experience failures. My pieces tend to resonate with human behaviours in which the art almost creates itself, becoming unusual creatures telling their unique story. The deeper the better. Sometimes my purpose is to instil humour that creates a silent conversation between the viewer and the art.
Painting & Drawing
Leigh Munro
Far North, Northland
I am an artist living in the beautiful Far North of New Zealand. After a long career as an art, photography and design teacher, I am now a full-time artist. I work across several disciplines; painting, semi-abstract works in acrylic and oils, small pen and ink surreal works, steel sculpture and digital works combining photography, Photoshop and Midjourney. My work inhabits contradiction - organic and digital, beauty and disruption, past and present, sometimes referencing Maori and Norse traditions.
Graphic & Digital Design
Liam Martyn Astbury
Whangarei, Northland
I was born in the United Kingdom in 1994. I immigrated to New Zealand in 2008, and I have been loving the lifestyle change since moving here from the United Kingdom. I have graduated with a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Digital Arts. My main passions include photography, videography, illustration, moving image and graphic design. I have developed a passion for the arts since moving from the UK to New Zealand. Photography has been the basis of all my skills today, and I still make sure to continue my practice regularly. I work with portraiture, drawing, poster design, documentary photography, short films, projection, and GIFS. My main subject matter is people, animals, and cars.
Ceramics & Pottery
Linda J Wigley
Far North, Northland
Linda’s creative journey commenced with a two-year Art & Design Foundation course, followed by a degree in Combined Arts at the University of Leicester, U.K. This practical training, combined with an early career in museums and galleries, has significantly influenced and enriched Linda’s work, merging the historic and contemporary. In 2022 Linda established Puriri Grove Studio, a purpose-built ceramic studio just outside Kerikeri. Linda’s practice is inspired by the varied flora and fauna surrounding her Northland Studio. Using both stoneware and porcelain, Linda takes the traditional technique of sprigging to a new level. She carves her own unique sprig moulds using high grade plaster and from these creates detailed clay sprigs. These are applied to either thrown or hand built structures, creating layers that reflect the complexity of organic forms in their natural environment. Linda mixes her own glazes and fires work in her solar-powered electric kiln.
Sculpture
Liz McAuliffe
Far North, Northland
Attracted to the plentiful, fecund/fertile shapes in nature I take delight in replicating and celebrating their unique and individual forms, imbuing them with my own aesthetic. Creating from and with nature has long been a way for me to stay connected to myself and my environment. I am drawn to the minutiae found in Nature, especially objects that are often bypassed or go unnoticed. Working closely from found objects so that when up-scaling these into ‘life-size’, I invite the viewer to re-examine their relationship with Nature. My artworks give a sensual experience as well as a visual one. Careful attention to detail, whether in form, surface or shadow is central to my practice and works. Born and living in New Zealand (Hokianga) I have always been intrigued by natural forms, I have an enjoyment of working with wood and a love and desire to work with my hands, this has been directed into my 19 year career as an artist, I participate in group and solo exhibitions regularly, my art is in national and international collections, including Italy, Germany, Spain, America, Denmark, England and Australia. In 2016 I had a 10 week artist residency in Denmark.
Sculpture
Ljubica Grubic
Far North, Northland
Ljubica Grubic (b.1996) is Serbian artist based in Northland. She studied sculpture at Faculty of Applied Arts in Belgrade, where she lived and developed her practice until 2023, when she moved to Aotearoa. Since then, she has participated in Lake House Arts Centre and Ngakau Sculpture Symposiums and CollaboratioNZ 2025. Her practice consists of sculpture, ceramics and jewellery made out of primarily natural materials. Exploring rhythms and repetition of organic forms Ljubica's work materialises natural landscapes. Her work has been exhibited across Serbia and New Zealand and privately collected.
Painting & Drawing
LXM Artist
Whangarei, Northland
LXM Artist is Alex McPherson (BFA - Elam majoring in painting.) Alex's paintings are representative and express the enjoyment of nature and life. Trying to capture the universality of love through art, Alex’s work captures the essence of nature, celebrating the colours, forms, and emotions that make life beautiful. It is a sensory experience. There is a spirituality in the painting process, as she believes in the right to life and exist in this world and beyond. Alex captures more than just a likeness in my figurative paintings. The 'birdness' of a bird or the essence of a creature. The use of enhanced colour, like a cobalt sky and an ultramarine sea is evident in a landscape. Each brushstroke tells a story of resilience, wonder, and inspiration. Whether it’s the delicate petals of a hibiscus or a stunning New Zealand landscape, these paintings bring the world to life on canvas. I exist therefore I paint. It is my language, my craft.
Printmaking
Mark Graver
Far North, Northland
Mark Graver RE is an award-winning artist printmaker based in Kerikeri New Zealand. Originally from the UK he studied at Leeds Polytechnic (B.A. Hons Fine Art 1985-88) and Camberwell College of Arts, London (MA Printmaking 1994-95). He moved to NZ in 2003 and established the Wharepuke Print Studio in 2005 (NZ's only dedicated Acrylic Resist Etching workshop). In 2009 he and partner Tania Booth opened Art at Wharepuke gallery. Mark is author of the printmaking handbook Non-Toxic Printmaking (2011, London, A&C Black) and Contemporary Printmaking – Safer Intaglio Techniques and Processes (2026, London, Hebert Press/Bloomsbury). He has sat on printmaking selection panels in China, Bulgaria and NZ and curated international print projects, exhibitions and symposiums in the UK, NZ and Australia. He is a committee member of Prism Print International, an Honorary Member of the Print Council Aotearoa New Zealand (PCANZ) and an elected Full Fellow of The Royal Society of Printmakers, London (RE) – one of only 100 in the world. His work is held in many public collections including the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, The Ashmolean Museum , Oxford, UK , The Art Gallery of Ballarat , Victoria, Australia, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery , Hobart, Australia and in China, Thailand, NZ, USA, Mexico, Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan, South Africa and Europe.
Ceramics & PotteryManaged profile
Mark Mitchell
Far North, Northland
Mark Mitchell is a Ceramics & Pottery artist based in Northland, Far North. He creates minimalist tableware inspired by nature and larger sculptural ceramic and glass vessels and wall pieces, detailed with geometric design and intricate surfaces. The tableware remains minimalist in style while drawing clear inspiration from the natural world. The vessels and wall pieces are larger in scale and incorporate geometric designs that combine with intricate surfaces throughout.
Painting & Drawing
Max Daillecourt
Far North, Northland
Max Daillecourt is a New Zealand based artist, who has called Kerikeri home for the past 24 years, following his immigration from Zimbabwe. Having studied art through to A Level during his school years, life led him down a different path, and creative pursuits were set aside as he entered the working world. It wasn't until his retirement that Max returned to painting; a long-dormant passion reignited.His inspiration is drawn from the world around him and memories of places and experiences gathered throughout his life. Everyday subjects - flowers, plants, interiors, gardens and landscapes - provide a starting point, alongside imagined scenes and places he has visited. Max describes his approach as "seeing with memory". Working primarily in acrylic paints on canvas, he enjoys exploring different mediums, techniques and styles, allowing experimentation to keep his practice fresh and evolving. Max has exhibited his work through a variety of platforms in both New Zealand and Australia. He finds the creative process deeply absorbing and therapeutic, while painting provides an ongoing source of discovery, expression and personal fulfilment.
Painting & DrawingManaged profile
Nicola Rangi Pou
Whangarei, Northland
Nicola Rangi Pou is a Painting & Drawing artist based in Northland, Whangarei. Her art practice involves acrylic paintings, mix-media and prints. She is currently in her final year at art school completing a Bachelor in Maori Art (Maungakura Toi) at Northtec. She hopes to practice and develop her art form full-time once she has completed her degree.
Painting & Drawing
Nigel stoker
Whangarei, Northland
Fine art watercolor paintings. Birds , animals and medeteranian street scenes Also paintings palm Spates
Music
NZTrio He Taonga Wairere
North Shore, Auckland
NZTrio He Taonga Wairere is a dynamic force in New Zealand chamber music, featuring violinist Amalia Hall, pianist Somi Kim, and newly appointed cellist Matthias Balzat. Each year, the trio curates a fresh programme series, sharing captivating performances with audiences across Aotearoa. As musicians, they're always pushing themselves to go further—crafting experiences that are not only enjoyable but also surprising, thought-provoking, and deeply moving. Their aim is to offer new perspectives on music that people may already know, while opening ears and hearts to works that are less familiar. They masterfully bridge the gap between classic repertoire and the contemporary landscape, bringing an innovative and uniquely Kiwi voice to their concerts. The trio's commitment to pushing musical boundaries is also evident in their collaborations. NZTrio regularly joins forces with musicians and singers both in and outside the classical music sphere, along with visual artists and dance companies. These partnerships showcase their versatility and dedication to presenting chamber music as a living, evolving art form, with recent projects including the "Four Last Songs" 2025 CMNZ Tour with soprano Emma Pearson, The Veils and Finn Andrews at WOMAD 2025, Black Grace at Auckland Arts Festival 2025, and BalletCollective Aotearoa at Wānaka Festival of Colour 2025.
Painting & Drawing
Oracle Art
Whangarei, Northland
Julia always expressed herself creatively in one medium or another but didn't get creative guidance until she did the “Learning Connexion” Art and Creativity foundation Course in 2010. She has produced a lot of ceramic and sculptural work as well as painting, and has studied under many tutors at the Quarry Arts Centre in Whangarei. She has also produced larger works in ferrocement and has an interest in beautiful natural buildings. She has sold work at the Kaipara Sculpture Exhibition, Quarry Arts Gallery and Helena Bay Art gallery. Julia currently lives in an eco-village in Matapouri with her husband Chris. In the winter she goes to Greece to run a Holistic Education centre and paints there too. She says "For each piece in my current series of paintings I start by painting a strong background colour. The background is painted following the order of the rainbow or chakra colours, i.e. The first one was red. Then I throw paint covered cloths or pour paint on the canvas. Always with a blank mind and without any expectations. I sometimes use some additives to the acrylic too. Sometimes I drip wax or put sand on the wet paint, I do whatever comes to mind but with no expectation of it meaning anything. When the paint has dried, I observe the canvas from different angles to see what I can see emerging and then once I see an image I outline it in charcoal or chalk. When I am happy there is something that is going to create a whole picture, I continue to outline and colour in the shapes to identify the story. As I started the series at the beginning of lockdown. After a while of working on the series of paintings I observed that the works were personal to me in that some aspect of my life were reflected in them. I saw in the initial works my personal journey through this period of Covid as I was trying to understand what was really going on globally and often aspects of my relationship. Something about my current life experience, society or my personal nature is always evident in the paintings. I felt inspired to photograph beautiful leaves and stick them onto the first image. To keep consistency especially initially, I usually added some small multimedia aspect. This often had a repetitive theme. After a while I started noting down my interpretation of what I had painted when I finished and what I was experiencing at the time of painting. I am also interested in the themes that other people see or intuit, and I am interested in that feedback. As the themes that emerge are relevant to all humans, I have thought that they might make good oracle cards.
Sculpture
Paul Olson
Far North, Northland
Paul Olson is an established New Zealand wood sculptor who specializes in working with ancient kauri and other native timber. His work explores motives of nature and interconnections of life. It has been acquired for permanent collections of notable institutions such as Webb's Auction House, Pah Homestead and Brook Waimārama Sanctuary in Nelson, as well as private collections, one of them being the collection of Crown Prince of Dubai.
Ceramics & Pottery
Rhonda Halliday
Far North, Northland
Rhonda Halliday is a ceramic artist based in Waipapa, where she runs Uku Toi Gallery and Studio where she also shares her private art collection encourging people to start their own. She holds a Bachelor of Applied Arts (Visual Arts) from NorthTec Whangārei, earned in 2000. Rhonda was privileged to be mentored by the late Colleen Waata Urlich and Manos Nathan, co-founders of Ngā Kaihanga Uku and the Tai Tokerau Māori Artists Collective; an influence that continues to shape her creative practice. Her work has been exhibited both nationally and internationally, and she has actively participated in numerous Toi Ngāpuhi exhibitions and indigenous cultural exchanges. Best known for her highly burnished, smoke-fired patina pieces symbolising rebirth and emergence, Rhonda’s practice continues to evolve. More recently, she has begun experimenting with new forms and techniques, including the integration of clay with mixed media. These explorations reflect her personal narratives and aim to spark conversation and awareness; particularly around environmental issues and the vital importance of water.
Painting & Drawing
Riverside Painters Art Group
Whangarei, Northland
Riverside Painters are a local group of 15 artists who are bought together every week on Riverside Drive, at the Whangarei Cruising Club to share their mutual love of art, painting, drawing and the joy of each others company. Individual artists create and express their skills in their own way and together our collective art is varied and fascinating. Different media is used by each artist and may be oil, acrylic, mixed media painting, drawings, sketches, and much more. Our work is available from a variety of venues and outlets in and around Whangarei and those spaces will be promoted here when Riverside Painters hold an event or exhibition. Our next art market and exhibition is : Sat/Sun 24th and 25th OCTOBER 10AM -3PM Whangarei Cruising Club, 212 Riverside Drive, Whangarei Free entry We hope you enjoy our efforts and find new artwork that resonates with you.