Creative Arts Napier, known as CAN, wants to let locals know they are here and its doors are open to everyone.
OPINION
We are excited to introduce artist Sisou6 with his first solo exhibition, In Black Rainbows and White, opening on Friday, November 10, at 5pm, all welcome.
With a self-directed art practice spanning the past seven years, Ryan James brings a sublime blend of intricate realism to life. The exhibit revels in duality: the precision of true-to-life flora against liberated, free-form strokes and gestures.
It’s an evocative dance between the meticulous and the ethereal, inviting viewers to experience the captivating balance that defines his artistic vision.
Having branched his creative work into many areas including acrylic painting, pencil drawing, digital illustrations, computer-aided design, machine-free tattooing as well as large public murals, this exhibition was the next natural step. Exhibiting at CAN November 10-23.
Another artist on show is Lucie Anderson, a fulltime artist based in Napier, who specialises in working with alcohol-based inks. Her creative process involves exploring the flow and uniqueness of these inks, resulting in a one-of-a-kind and stunning artwork.
She finds inspiration in the natural beauty surrounding her, and her pieces often reflect her love for nature and the environment. Lucie’s artwork has gained a reputation for being bold and vibrant, with a distinct style. Exhibiting at CAN November 1-30.
Also on show is Gail Davidson’s work. Davidson is a Hawke’s Bay artist who has been painting for more than 10 years now.
She paints humorous incidents or stories as they unfold drawn from this wonderful world of ours as she tends to perceive it. Working mainly with acrylics, she loves to use bright bold colours.
Davidson said, “I am as far from being a realistic painter as the sun is from the moon with my characters finding their shape to suit the theme. I like my paintings to speak for themselves by tempting the viewer into a discussion, a smile, or a chuckle.”
She added, “Inspired by a sense of fun and humour that’s deeply ingrained from my upbringing where seeing the funny side of life was encouraged.”
Local artists Liam Farris and Cheri Jackson come together to collaborate on the art exhibit Through the Looking Glass with the intention to produce a series of abstract photographs of everyday objects, both man-made and in nature, hit the mark.
The exercise in exploring colour, patterns, textures and imagination leads to photos taken from unusual angles or very close up, sometimes digitally manipulated.
It follows the theme of illusion and seeing the world differently. The abstracts will hopefully prompt viewers to imagine what they might be seeing.
Farris has previously held an exhibition of abstract and impressionist photos taken through the patterned windows at his home and at other places where he’s found them in his travels. While better known around Hawke’s Bay as a musician, he has been interested in visual art since childhood and up until his mid-teens used to draw and paint extensively.
Jackson has had an interest in amateur photography (film) starting at age 8 with a Polaroid camera and has for many years taken pictures of landscapes and flowers.
She obtained her first digital camera in 2019 and has since been experimenting with abstract and negative images and digital effects.
Due to her studies in psychology, she has also become very interested in optical illusions and pictures that have a surreal or hallucinatory quality. Cheri is in the process of finishing her degree in visual arts, and this is her first exhibition in digital media.
An exciting exhibition has been organised for our Hastings Street Gallery to spotlight secondary student Māori and Pacifica art, including pieces by four students whose artworks have been on display at Te Papa in Wellington.
Four students from William Colenso College were the only Hawke’s Bay students with work selected for the 2023 Ringa Toi exhibition, a national showcase of excellence in secondary school Toi Maori and Pacific arts.
Also included in the CAN exhibition is work by Taikura, Hastings Girls’, Karamu, Napier Boys’ and Havelock North high schools.
The Napier exhibition, called Ngā Ringa Toi o te Matau a Māui 2023, will be at the CAN Hastings St pop-up gallery space inside The Pottery Experience, on 18 Hastings St from November 16-30.
The exhibition is open Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 3pm and Fridays and Saturdays 6pm to 8pm. The artworks are also visible anytime through the front window of The Pottery Experience.