About
John Walsh
b. 1954
Lives and works in Wellington
Customary Maori narrative has been an ongoing source of inspiration for John Walsh. In his paintings Walsh conjures up dreamscapes and vistas where ancient beings, gods and demigods weave the fabric of human existence and experience. Initially an accomplished portrait painter, Walsh’s unconventional style and subject matter has evolved over recent years as he infuses narrative paintings with whimsy and wit. Characterised by a distinctively vibrant palette of aqua and green hues, a cast of lyrical hybrid characters and a penchant for bold and expressive brushwork, Walsh has quickly garnered a reputation as a solid fixture in many public and private collections throughout the country.
Walsh’s painterly individualism is undeniable. Gestural strokes mimic the trace of his movements - wiping, sweeping and scratching the pigment across the surface of the work. At times it is frenzied or tumultuous yet always in keeping with the dynamic narrative which is being told. Although his stories may be located in the distant ‘past’ they are never fixed nor static - they remain relevant and contemporary, ever evolving. Walsh communicates this superbly through constant movement, vivid colour and imaginative storytelling.
John Walsh is of Te Aitanga a Hauiti and Irish descent. While he attended Ilam in Canterbury during 1973-74, he remains predominately a self-taught artist. He lives and works in Wellington and has completed a number of public commissions which include a foyer painting for the Wellington City Council in 2004 as well as participation in the Pathfinder International Mural project in New York City in 1989. His work is held in various public and private collections including the James Wallace Collection, Te Papa Tongarewa Museum of New Zealand, the Sargeant Gallery Collection and the Jean Marie Tjibaou Cultural Centre Collection in Noumea, New Caledonia.
Selected Solo exhibitions
2009 New Paintings, John Leech Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand
Flying Solo - Paintings by John Walsh, James Wallace Arts Trust Gallery, TheNewDowse, Lower Hutt
2008 Thoughts on Antarctica, Janne Land Art Gallery, Wellington
2007 John Walsh, John Leech Gallery, Auckland
2006 Storyboard for a
2005 John Walsh, John Leech Gallery,
2004 John Walsh, John Leech Gallery,
2003 John Walsh, Gow Langsford Gallery,
2002 Orokohanga - Genesis, Pataka, Porirua and John Leech Gallery,
2001 New Works, Janne Land Gallery,
2000 New Works & Nanny Mango originals, Archill Gallery, Auckland
Selected Group Exhibitions
2011 Oceania: Imagining the Pacific, City Gallery, Wellington, New Zealand
Between Earth and Sky. Page Blackie Gallery, Wellington, New Zealand
2008 Into the blue, Paul Nache Gallery, Gisborne
2006 Birds, Pataka Museum, Porirua
2005 Frieze, Gow Langsford Gallery,
John Pule, Sofia Tekela-Smith, John Walsh, Martin Browne Gallery,
2002 This Other World,
2001 Purangiaho: A Survey of Contemporary Maori Art,
Surprise, Michael Hirchfeld Gallery,
Parihaka, the Art of Passive Resistance City Gallery,
2000 MY2K Celebrating the real Millennium Marsden Gallery, Featherston
Past Life Michael Hirchfeld Gallery, City Gallery,
Te Papa Tongarewa - Sarjeant Gallery, Wanganui Jean Marie Tjibaou Cultural Centre, Selected Public Collections