Our Story
As an artist and lover of art I could see there was a need for an online art gallery that catered to outstanding New Zealand and Māori artists, showcasing their work nationally and internationally.
So I have created New Zealand and Māori Art – Online Contemporary Gallery which opens this month (November 2024) featuring the amazing work of leading contemporary Māori artists Darcy Nicholas, Alex Nathan, Maria Brockhill and outstanding new artist Pēkere.
I am also delighted to have the work of American/New Zealand artists Kim Beaton and Jade Valour who have both worked in the international film industry as artist and sculptor and advisers with WETA studios.
We also have Bruce Luxford, a NZ contemporary artist who has sold artworks internationally as has Swiss contemporary artist, now living in NZ, Sarah Albisser, plus Darcy Solia, an outstanding New Zealand born Samoan painter who has been teaching and creating art for most of his life.
You will find all their profiles on the website, along with more artists to be added in the future.
Take a peak and enjoy.
Lorraine Ball
Online Director
New Zealand and Māori Art – Online Contemporary Gallery
New Zealand and Maori Artists
We are proud to showcase some of New Zealand’s finest Contemporary and Māori Artists.
ALEX NATHAN
Māori Jeweller/Silversmith
Alex Nathan is believed to be the only New Zealand artist who uses the traditional Hopi overlay technique in his work which involves tracing a design on a sheet of silver and then painstakingly carving it by hand.
Nathan’s enthralment with silver is a non-traditional step away from his customary beginnings working with bone, stone, and as a carver.
BRUCE LUXFORD
Contemporary NZ Artist
Bruce Luxford is a Wellington Surrealist artist who since the early 2000s has been observing current issues and the wash of life’s trends and applying his own interpretation, with a true adherence to the original ideals of Surrealism.
Works have sold to NZ buyers as well as to collectors in the USA, Japan, Hong Kong and Australia.
DARCY NICHOLAS QSO
Award winning Contemporary Māori Artist
Darcy Nicholas has been a part of the Contemporary Maori Art movement since the late 1960’s. During this time he has exhibited throughout New Zealand, Australia, the United States, Canada, Africa, India, Japan, and Europe, as well as directing major touring shows representing Maori Art to many of those countries.
Darcy was made a Fellowship of The New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts in 2024. The Fellowship is a very high honour given to only one other Maori artist in their 135 years of existence. There are only six living fellow members.
DARCY SOLIA
NZ/pacific island contemporary artist
After graduating from Massey University’s School of Design in the late nineties, Darcy Solia began his career as a freelance illustrator.
Darcy works in a variety of styles, both digital and traditional. As a New Zealand-born Samoan, he frequently creates Pacific Island art, but his inspirations are as diverse as his interests. While Darcy has no criminal record, he sees himself as a renegade in the art world! This mindset allows him to embrace freedom and creativity, especially in developing new ideas.
JADE VALOUR
INTERNATIONAL ACTOR/JEWELLER
Jade Valour originally from New York, is now a New Zealand citizen.
Jade is a singer/songwriter, writer, actor, performance and solo artist with a rich and varied career in music, theatre and film in Germany and New Zealand. She loves the creative process, delights in creating her own work, and found her passion for jewellery and ceramics in New Zealand, where she has had both solo and collaborative exhibitions of her art. Jade’s two great sources of inspiration are mythical themes and the sea.”
KIM BEATON
International Award-winning sculptor
Kim Beaton originally from Seattle, is now a New Zealand citizen.
Kim is an award-winning sculptor with over 30 years of experience. She has made a significant mark in the world of sculpture and design. Known for her inventive and heartfelt creations, Beaton’s career reflects her dedication to both artistry and craftsmanship.
MARIA BROCKHILL
Contemporary Māori ceramic artist
Maria Brockhill is a distinguished ceramic artist hailing from Waitara in Taranaki and now residing in Bell Block, and renowned for her evocative and diverse ceramic creations. Her work is deeply influenced by Maunga Taranaki and the coastal landscape of North Taranaki, reflecting a profound connection to the land and sea.
Her artwork is well known for the texture, patterns and the glazes she creates.
PĒKERE
CONTEMPORARY MāORI ARTIST
Pēkere works with mixed media and acrylics. Her own life experiences have had a significant influence on her stunning artworks. With her contemporary, daring and colourful style, she is an artist to keep an eye on.
SARAH ALBISSER
INTERNATIONAL CONTEMPORARY ARTIST
Sarah Albisser is from Switzerland and now residing in New Zealand. She is a contemporary dancer/ choreographer and studied in New York. Sarah works with acrylics and has been experimenting with black and white portraits over the past fourteen years.
In 2019 Sarah designed a Gin bottle label, for Adorn Beauty Gin. She was awarded a bronze medal at the international Wine and Spirits competition in New York and a silver medal at the Australian Gin Awards in Sydney.
Our Logo
Our New Zealand and Māori Art logo, features Rehua, the star of creativity, and symbolizes the three realms of wisdom: knowledge of the universe, earthly knowledge, and the journey towards the future.