Artmaking has run in Marilyn Rea-Menzies’ blood since a young age. The first two years of her life were spent surrounded by native forest, living in a logging camp cabin at Rahui, where her father was a bushman. As with art, this early immersion was a catalyst for a lifelong love of nature and creativity.

Rea-Menzies now works from her home studio in Westport, on Te Tai Poutini, the West Coast. Venturing into the surroundings of the Buller Region accompanied by her camera provides the source material for her work. This exhibition displays her detailed drawings, paintings, and tapestries depicting the abundant life found in our indigenous forests.

Main image: Marilyn Rea-Menzies, Detail of work from Nature’s Symphony: A Visual Journey Through Our Forests, 2026

Left image: Marilyn Rea-Menzies, Detail of work from Nature’s Symphony: A Visual Journey Through Our Forests, 2026