CURRENT GALLERY EXHIBITIONS
ARTIST TALK
Saturday 15 February, 1pm
We’ll be hosting an artist talk with Karen Sewell to celebrate the end of her exhibition. Click here to for more information.
Derived from ‘numinous’, meaning awakening spiritual awe, and ‘luminance’, meaning the amount of light emitted, or reflected from a surface; Celestial Numinance is an exhibition that explores the awe-inspiring beauty of cosmic phenomena.
Sewell’s artistry is affected by these celestial bodies. She feels their gravitational pull, in much the same way that the tides feel the pull of the moon, driving her interest in all things other-worldly. Her artistic practice becomes a vehicle of transmutation whereby the mystery of cosmic phenomena is laid bare as a tangible experience. Through photography, sculpture, scent and sound, viewers teeter on the threshold into the realm of the numinous. Having sought inspiration from a multitude of sources including astronomical studies of the Orion constellation, medicinal applications of herbs, and the ancient Japanese art of Hikaru dorodango as well as her personal history, Sewell combines the seemingly dissimilar subject matter into a unified experience that extends across time and space. The sphere, a universal symbol of eternity, wholeness and unity, is a central motif throughout Sewell’s practice. Her sculptures bridge the separation between the earthly and the other worldly, exploring connections between the tangible and intangible, the abstract and the spiritual, and the diverse realms of sensory experience.
Additional to this exhibition is the augmented reality element, Morning Star XR 2024, wherein the visitor becomes privy to an experience that isn’t so easy to access. She reveals the celestial body of Venus to us through the power of technology: the unseen becomes seen, the invisible becomes visible, and viewers are taken on a journey through the most fascinating and inexplicable parts of what is literally an other world.
Morning Star XR, 2024. Carnelian quartz, Venus, sound (source NASA), atmosphere, extended reality technology
Morning Star is a virtual sculpture that stands as a testament to Karen Sewell’s fascination with the celestial and terrestrial realms, challenging traditional artistic expressions and inviting viewers on a transcendent journey into the cosmic expanse. Representing years of exploration and experimentation, this future-facing artwork aims to provoke dialogue and reflection in an era marked by technological advancement and environmental uncertainty. Through its imposing presence and timeless symbolism, Morning Star urges viewers to renegotiate their relationship with the universe and their role as stewards of the Earth. It represents a convergence of artistic vision, technological innovation, and spiritual inquiry, aimed to inspire awe and reverence for the interconnectedness of all life forms and the eternal beauty of the cosmos. This interactive, augmented reality work situated outside which will be active even over the summer break.
About the artist
Karen Sewell is a multidisciplinary artist based in Tāmaki Makaurau whose impressive installations commonly incorporate a combination of sculpture, photography, painting, sound, scent and light. Working within the realm of the numinous, her practise explores the intersection of art and spirituality. Sewell holds a Master of Fine Arts (with Honours) in 2016 from Whitecliffe, College of Arts and Design.
Her work has featured in exhibitions in Aotearoa and internationally. She received the Waitakere Trust Art Awards’ Premier Award in 2011, was an award winner in the 2024 Molly Morpeth Canaday Art Awards, and in 2022 Luminary I Luminare was exhibited in the biennial exhibition, Personal Structures, held in Venice.
Metamorphōsis is a collection of paintings that explore the confusion, discomfort and uncertainty that often comes with growing up.
Her figures peel at their skin, their spines sprout wings, or they slowly emerge from unravelling cocoons, all shedding layers that reveal something entirely new has grown beneath the surface. In each of them, a metamorphosis has taken place. The unwitting characters in Ovid’s Metamorphosis experience dramatic transformations into plants, animals and other half-human creatures as a way of being given new life. In much the same way, Ruijne uses her art to visualise the invisible metamorphosis she and her friends have been undergoing.
Despite their often fantastical imagery, her expressive artworks are grounded by a sense of relatability. There is a permeable tension between the fear of and hope for change, of the discomfort in the familiar and the allure of the unfamiliar. Distress and hesitancy battle to overcome the yearning for something more that shines through the overarching turmoil. It is this feeling of pressure, of push and pull, that deeply marks the transitory period into adulthood. Metamorphōsis reminds all of us that change is inevitable, regardless of how hard we fight it.
Estelle Ruijne is an artist and poet who explores the transformative and fluid nature of the human experience. Currently a student at Howick College, she plans to pursue a Bachelor of Visual Art double majoring in Painting, Printmaking and Drawing, and Communication Design at AUT after completing her secondary studies. Estelle is committed to adapting and evolving these concepts through further exhibitions.
Metamorphōsis is her debut exhibition.
Click here to read the poetry accompaniment written by Estelle Ruijne.
Interested in learning more about the artist? Check out this special event below!
About The Wall
The Wall is our exhibition space dedicated to help give a leg up to emerging local artists still in high school or tertiary education by allowing them to go through the process of exhibition making without the stress and pressure that comes with the scale of the Malcolm Smith Gallery. The Wall also allows young artists more exposure than a traditional gallery space by being in the concourse area amongst all the action.
Join us in the Gallery Café for a casual yet informative conversation over tea and coffee with exhibiting artist Eve Boermans and centre director Paul Brobbel.
Eve and Paul will lead a conversation for artists and art lovers looking at the themes explored in the exhibition Threads alongside insights into Eve’s wider practice.
Wednesday 1 May, 2 – 3pm, Gallery Café
Bookings essential: $10 for coffee/tea/scone and conversation.
Threads
Threads is an exploration of metaphorical threads in time – observing memories and recognising the subsequent evocations from these moments; emotions, sounds, smells, light. Small, unfinished paintings are positioned carefully on Uxbridge’s concourse wall and connected by material threads. Although unfinished, these paintings feel more human, more natural, more intriguing. Each canvas piques the viewer’s interest, containing different subject matter from piece to piece. Locating the work in a transitional space enhances the potential for interpretation. The viewer can imagine their own conclusions for each piece, whether it be material or emotional.
Threads is an invitation, an offering to the viewer, for connection, for recollection, for feeling.
About the artist
Eve Boermans is an East Auckland-based artist and student at Elam School of Fine Arts at the University of Auckland. Working in a variety of disciplines including dramatic and literary arts, her artistic work is currently focused on painting and installation. Boerman’s work has been seen locally in exhibitions such as the Focus Exhibition (2022). She was a finalist in the Wallace Art Awards (2022).
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Join us for a kōrero in the Gallery Café led by exhibiting artist Coral Noel Yang and Centre Director Paul Brobbel. Our conversation will be informed by the themes explored in Tokimeku, currently exhibiting in the Malcolm Smith Gallery. This is a great opportunity for artists, art lovers and the artistically curious alike to engage with contemporary art in an open and friendly environment.
All are welcome.
Tuesday 21st May, 2 – 3pm at the Gallery Café
Complementary coffee/tea are included in your ticket.
Bookings are essential. To secure your spot, please book through our website.
Tokimeku
‘Tokimeku’ (ときめく) is a Japanese word that beautifully captures the sensation of a throbbing, fluttering, and palpitating heart—a visceral response to the dance of anticipation. This concept serves as the inspiration for Coral Noel Yang latest collection of expressive abstract works. Influenced by her immersive experience at Tamagawa Hot Spring, a secluded mountain healing site in her mother’s hometown, Akita, Japan, these artworks vividly reflect the essence of her journey, where the heartbeat of nature resonates in captivating visual expressions.
As Coral delves into the memories of her travels, central themes of wonder, awakening, connection, and rebirth crystallise within this collection. A poignant narrative thread weaves through her heartfelt reunion with family after a period of Covid-induced separation, alongside tales of healing and the therapeutic energy found in Tamagawa. Coral’s purpose is to imbue her works with the vitality and sense of belonging she absorbed from this transformative journey.
About the Artist
Coral Noel Yang, an Auckland-based contemporary painter, specializes in abstract and floral art using acrylic, blending Soak-Stain techniques with Asian water-ink traditions. Her vibrant and layered works exude luminous hues and expressive marks, drawing inspiration from Aotearoa’s landscapes and florals, her 15 years of global filmmaking experience, and her Chinese-Japanese heritage. Enthralled by the unpredictable beauty of fluidity, she navigates between intuitive material play and meticulous design, crafting layers adorned with water marks, organic shapes, and whimsical brushstrokes. Her paintings capture nature’s essence intertwined with human emotions, evoking a profound sense of wonder and belonging, resonating both locally and internationally. Since 2021, Coral has held solo exhibitions in Auckland, notably including Unfurling (2023) and Tokimeku (2024). Additionally, she is invited to showcase her work at both The Auckland Art Show 2024 and Art in the Park 2024. In 2023, she received the John Wells award at the Emerging Artist Awards of Upstairs Gallery and was a finalist at Craigs Aspiring Art Prize in 2024.
Instagram link: @coralnoelyangart
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