Strange Land
by Kate White
Date: Nov 28 – Dec 11Space: Small Gallery
One of artist Kate White’s joys is fossicking in opportunity shops and looking for vintage/retro frames that fit the theme with which she works. Strange Land describes the world within the frame- each of the paintings was made for its frame, turning the usual process of visual art creation back-to-front. Each of the New Zealand Rooks is like a traveller pausing within a pre-ordained dimension, the colours of its rendezvous, the position within the frame, dictated by the wild-card- the picture frame itself, found by accident on a certain day, in a certain dusty corner. Kate has trained in two schools of thought – meticulous design and happy accident. Strange Land twines the two while showcasing her beloved Rooks.
Kate White has worked as an illustrator, portrait artist and fine artist since the 1980s here in NZ and in England, Scotland, and Ireland. She holds a NZ Certificate in Craft Design from EIT and an Hons Dip Art and Creativity from The Learning Connexion.
Her style is largely illustrative, although she dabbles in the surreal. She works in oils, acrylics, watercolours, pastels, graphite and print, and makes works that range from small wares for her market stall ‘The Rooky Wood’, through to larger serious pieces.
Her achievements include 12 solo and 2 duo exhibitions, all held in Hawke’s Bay at: Statements Gallery, the Globe Gallery, 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. Among other art jobs, Kate has drawn the Auckland Thoroughbred Racing yearly derby winner’s portrait for Ellerslie Racecourse for the past 12 years and worked as a publisher’s illustrator in Ireland for 4 years.
Kate dedicates everything she does to her Creator YHUH.
Contact: www.therookywood.com
Email: therookywood@outlook.com
The Rooky Wood Insta: @therookywoodatdawn
Kate White Insta: @katharinekinrossportraits