Celebrating Waitaki Talent: Four new exhibitions open
Published on 31 January 2023
Zeitgeist: works by Peter Cleverley - 28 January-2 April 2023
The New Nine | Eion Shanks - 28 January-2 April 2023
Alchemy | Trish Shirley - 28 January -26 March 2023
Soulstice | Katie Waite - 28 January -26 March 2023
The Forrester Gallery is stepping into 2023 with a new offering of exhibitions, all celebrating Waitaki talent in this four-show extravaganza - Zeitgeist: works by Peter Cleverley, The New Nine | Eion Shanks, Alchemy | Trish Shirley and Soulstice | Katie Waite. The opening of all four exhibitions was celebrated with the artists and their supporters Friday, 27 January.
In 2021 the Forrester Gallery began working with Peter Cleverley on a solo show that celebrates his past and present work in our own collection, in private collections and work being done currently. This show cements Peter Cleverley as a New Zealand artist and comments on his significance and contribution to contemporary painting. The exhibition includes the first work of Peter’s that the Forrester Gallery purchased back in 1984 through to his most recently finished works. We are very lucky that Peter will be giving a painting workshop as part of this exhibition on March 11 and 12, but spaces are limited so those interested should book in with the Gallery as soon as possible.
“It has been a real privilege to work with Peter Cleverley on Zeitgeist: Works by Peter Cleverley. Peter’s work has a strong connection to the Waitaki region, and his practice has always been supported by local collectors. It feels right to be having this solo exhibition at the Forrester at a time of transition in his career.” – Imogen Stockwell, Curator, Visual Arts, Forrester Gallery
We have also opened three other shows by three Waitaki artists. The New Nine is a new exhibition by Eion Shanks that examines climate change. Eion has drawn on the David Attenborough documentary Breaking Boundaries: The Science of our Planet for this show. In standard Eion practice, there is a strong current of black humour that runs through the exhibition to bring our attention to this issue.
Alchemy is an exhibition of Trish Shirley’s work that celebrates artists as alchemists who create meaning by taking ingredients – concepts and materials – and transforming them into artwork. This colourful exhibition makes us think about how artists work their magic, the idea of transformation and the impact that creating has on the artist themselves.
Katy Waite is a new exhibiting artist for the Forrester Gallery. Her show, Soulstice is a celebration of Katy’s love of colour. The works are the result of a New Zealand autumn and winter in lockdown and then a spring and summer in Portugal.
On Thursday 9 February at 5.30pm all four artists will be speaking as part of a PechaKucha Evening at the Forrester Gallery. This is a night not to be missed, with Peter, Eion, Trish, and Katy, sharing their ideas and talking about their exhibitions in a PechaKucha style presentation.
These exhibitions open to the public on Saturday 28 January. Zeitgeist: works by Peter Cleverley and The New Nine | Eion Shanks are on display until 2 April, and Alchemy | Trish Shirley and Soulstice | Katie Waite are on display until 26 March. Free entry.
ENDS