MAN OF COLOUR: Keith Abbott's Myth of the Masculine. Photo/supplied
MAN OF COLOUR: Keith Abbott's Myth of the Masculine. Photo/supplied
Keith Abbott is a Kiwi painter based in Tauranga. His work is held in private collections in New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States, Japan, Germany, Holland, Greece and France.
In an exhibition called Anatomy of Nature, running until November 5, Abbott will display a selection of recentworks at Creative Tauranga Charitable Trust during the Tauranga Arts Festival.
Abbott tends to build his paintings in transparent layers of colour rather than a singular rich colour. He says this gives a painting optical depth, creating an illusion of light and layers.
Influenced by renaissance and Buddhist art, Abbott tries to give his paintings a meditative and serene quality, hoping viewers can access their own inner world, which transcends culture and belief.
"I believe a painting should have a spiritual dimension, this is very present in my work," he says. "I surround myself with spiritual people, I take my thoughts, feelings, inspirations and experiences and channel them into something physical... that is what influences my painting."
When asked whether his practice has changed over time, Abbott says: "My practice hasn't changed too much, it has refined and there is less imagery, but it is fundamentally the same." At Creative Tauranga on two Saturdays, October 17 and 24, from 10am to 2pm, Abbott will meet and greet viewers and discuss his artwork.
the fine print What: Keith Abbott Anatomy of Nature Where: Creative Tauranga When: October 8 to November 5
