Nigel Brown has been at the forefront of contemporary New Zealand painting since his emergence as an artist in the 1970s. This selection of artworks, spanning 35 years of his career so far, presents diverse subjects that are all explored in Brown’s distinctive and enduring style.

Totemic figures, bold text, and a rich visual language of symbols are common threads that draw the artworks together. Through these he expresses his ideas across a range of themes including New Zealand culture and identity, political and social systems, the natural and the artificial.

Continually drawing on his surroundings, Brown’s artworks often reflect the places he has lived in or travelled to. The earliest paintings in this exhibition were created while Brown was living in Auckland, contrasting with those from his recent time at the isolated rural property of Cosy Nook.

Highlights include large-scale paintings on loose canvas that have not previously been shown in a public gallery context, along with works that reveal Brown’s forays into abstraction.

Also featured is a pair of Pacific-inspired woodblock prints that are displayed together with their corresponding carved wooden blocks, which welcome touch while giving an insight into Brown’s printmaking process.

All works are from the private collection of Nigel Brown and Susan McLaughlin.

Curated by Jessica Mio

Exhibition developed and toured by Aigantighe Art Gallery.

Supported by Ashburton District Creative Communities.

Header image: Nigel Brown, installation view, 2016. All rights reserved

Image: Nigel Brown, World without End (detail), 2013-14. Oil and acrylic on canvas. All rights reserved