The Crow Road
by Kate White
Date: Jun 5 – Jun 18Space: Small Gallery
Miniature oil paintings by Kate White.
In this collection, Kate White uses the road between Waipukurau and Ocean Beach as the time thread between the past – when Rooks were reviled by many, loved by a few – and a future where the artist hopes a public and farming community (educated in regenerative farming practicality and the pointlessness of pesticide-caused cancer) will acknowledge and welcome this terribly misunderstood bird.
The Crow Road begins where the artist was born and ends at one of her favourite lookouts, stopping at places along the way which will be recognized by those who know this land, reinhabited by the Rook people of New Zealand.
If you think you know about Rooks or if you’ve never heard of them, come and visit this show – prepare to be surprised.
About the artist:
Kate White is a Hawke’s Bay born artist whose theme is the illustration of bigger knowledge about the underdogs of nature and the part they play in the health of the nation. She is currently studying a Master of Professional Creative Practice with EIT, she paints animal portraits, exhibits, teaches art classes and writes a Substack blog. Kate’s studio, The Rooky Wood, can be found in the Hawke’s Bay Art Guide and you can see more of her work on her website or her Instagram pages.
Kate has always been interested in the story of the persecuted wildlife in New Zealand and draws her inspiration from moving contrary to mainstream thinking, and finding principles among the weeds, volunteer trees and scrub, the hedgehogs, hares, magpies and rooks on the edges of roads. Her style is largely illustrative although she dabbles in the surreal. She works in oils, acrylics, watercolours, pastels and graphite.
Her achievements include 15 solo and 2 duo exhibitions, all held in Hawke’s Bay at: Statements Gallery, the Globe, Creative Arts Napier and Heretaunga Arts Inc; and over 40 national and local group exhibitions including the Parkin Drawing Awards, the NZ Portrait Gallery, the Hawke’s Bay Reviews and the Big Apple Project.
Kate’s Insta: @katherinekinrossportraits
The Rooky Wood Insta: @therookywoodatdawn