Are you a fan of New Zealand landscapes and art? Look NZ is excited to announce the upcoming exhibition featuring Diana Adams new original artworks and limited edition prints. This is a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the beauty of New Zealand's landscapes through the eyes of a very talented artists.
When and Where
The opening event will take place on Saturday, June 8 at 4pm, with wine, canapes, and an artist talk at 5pm.
The exhibition will run from June 8 to July 5, open Monday to Friday from 10am to 3pm or by appointment.
You can find the exhibition at Look NZ's pop-up gallery at the Architecture + Design Library, located at 2 Frederick Street, Wānaka.
All are welcome to attend and experience Diana Adams stunning artwork. See you at the opening!
About Diana Adams
Diana's journey as a landscape architect has led her to become a talented painter with a passion for capturing the essence of New Zealand's rugged beauty. Her work distills the landscape to its simplest form, reflecting the raw and untouched nature of the land. Drawing inspiration from her adventures walking and tramping through New Zealand's wilderness, Diana's art is a true reflection of the country's natural beauty.
Diana's latest artworks draw inspiration from the maps and locations she's explored. These vibrant, textured paintings showcase her expert painting skills and bring her journeys to life.
Detail of Diana's new work.
Limited Edition Prints by Diana Adams
Visit the Diana Adams Art website for limited edition prints here >>
Diana Adams Open Edition Prints
We have a selection of contemporary framed open edition prints by Diana for preorder sale on the Look NZ website. Click this link to view >>
Q&A with Artist Diana Adams
What themes or messages are you exploring in this exhibition?
I'm exploring a different way of looking at the landscape. For the last 20 plus years I have painted the images of the land from a human visual perspective. This has been the traditional perspective of artists for centuries. By painting the land from above, I'm inviting the viewer to take flight and have a bird’s eye view of the land they know and are familiar with. In this series that I’m calling ‘Geographique’ I’m utilising topographical maps and Google Earth to give me the lay of the land as a launching place for my works. I then overlay the contours with my knowledge and experience of that place. The blues and greens of the lakes and rivers are what I see when I look at those places. The colours of the land are real colours I have observed. On top of that I’m using textures I’ve seen or felt and also materials such as mica and iron which come from the land itself. Overlaying the whole piece are my own experiences and journeys through the land. I have added metallic paints and metal leaf in the works especially in areas that I see as special. The riverbed and lake edges are especially important to me as places I’ve spent a lot of time exploring. I grew up next to the Waimakariri river so braided river beds resonate with me. The works are very personal in this way.
Can you describe your creative process for these pieces?
Understanding your process—from initial inspiration to final execution—can give a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at how the artworks come to life. I love the use of the metallics in your paintings, I think this is interesting!
I have a fairly good knowledge of New Zealand’s landscapes especially the South Island. I've spent years tramping and running and traveling around the land, getting inspiration for my paintings. Along the way I acquired a love of topographical maps and can spend hours looking at the contours and imagining the places I haven’t been. The transference from map to image is similar to imagining a house or garden from a plan, a skill I gained while working as a landscape architect. So my initial inspiration for these works comes from maps and google earth. I find a place that I’m very familiar with and take great delight in drawing the contours straight onto the canvas while remembering myself in that landscape. Then I work on a colour palette for the painting, mixing new colours that will express my memory of the place. I work on the water element first, then each contour from low to high is painted. At this stage it is a base layer to build upon. I do it quickly and intuitively. Later I decide if the colours I have used work and I’ll change some areas that don’t work. The rust layer goes on early as it goes on black, I then use an activator to start the rusting process. In these works I have dotted the rust on with the end of a paintbrush to form little circular drips. I have put at least two or three layers on each one. Lastly the metallic paint or leaf is applied. A lot of looking and adjusting occurs through the whole process. There are many layers of paint in each contour and it is all done by hand, I don’t use masking tape.
How has your work evolved over time, and what new directions are you exploring in this exhibition?
I have been painting full time for 25 years. I started out with a desire to represent the places I love to explore in a way that shows my awe of the New Zealand landscape. I get great pleasure from sharing my vision with others and the wonderful feedback I’ve had has kept me excited to keep painting the land all these years. In 2020 I started experimenting in a way to show my journey through the landscape. At the time I was doing a lot of long distance running and felt that the journey was a very important part of my life. I’ve long been interested in the Australian aboriginal art depicting the watering holes and animal trails and special places to the aboriginal people. I focused on the Clutha Mata Au river as I travel the banks of the Clutha on a daily basis. I painted these works from a bird’s eye view showing sections of the river. My latest works are expanding this idea by using cartography as well.
Are there any particular pieces in this exhibition that hold special significance for you?
All the pieces in this show are important places to me. The one I’m most enamoured with is the Dart River Delta because of the river braids meeting lake Wakatipu. I’ve painted this area a few times and tramped in the area. I’ve lined the riverbed and lake edge with copper to express my love of these areas. I consider all bodies of water to be significant places as they hold mystery, especially Lake Wakatipu which is incredibly deep and cold. Included in this copper zone is Queenstown which is special for the memories I have of the good times spent with my daughter who loves cities more than wild places. In this painting I have incorporated the best of both worlds.
Thanks Diana!
