Nepalese-born artist Sarj Hada's first Rotorua exhibition opens at the Arts Village this weekend.
Born and raised in Kathmandu, Hada, 34, moved to Sydney at 19, lived there for 10 years, before making the move to New Zealand with his Rotorua-born wife in 2013.
This is Hada's third solo exhibition following ones in Sydney and Auckland.
He said he worked in a wide variety of styles and mediums and drew a lot of inspiration from artists such as Jackson Pollock, Van Gogh, Brett Whiteley, Arthur and David Boyd, Willem De Kooning, Francis Bacon, Picasso and many more including artists from among his own family and friends.
"I used to dabble here and there when I was growing up back home, and we had compulsory art lesson when I was in high school and I remember taking a few extra art lessons as a kid.
"From what I can recall, I was more interested in art compared to other students. However, I wasn't in the same league as a few of my colleagues, they were way out there," he said.
Hada said he mainly worked with oils and acrylics on canvas and MDF boards.
"As of lately I have had a few attempts at wood carving, bone carving and also tattooing on friends and family."
Hada is a fully qualified chef and chef lecturer and works for Toi-Ohomai Institute of Technology. He and his wife Kerri have a young son.
"Art has always been an important part of my life, so I am quite disciplined and consistent about it, and as the family is getting bigger I really have to organise my time."
The 'Art by Sarj' exhibition will be open to view from Saturday, April 6, until April 27 at the Art Village at 240 Hinemaru St.
For more information check out https://sarjhada.com/