In this episode I visit John Walsh in his Wellington home and studio to sit by the fire and drink tea… and talk about his practice.

John is of Aitanga Hauiti and New Zealand Irish descent. His work is held in numerous public and private collections including Te Papa and Sargeant Gallery Collection, he has exhibited widely including at City Gallery Wellington, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki, at the Dowse Art Museum and Pataka at Porirua. He is represented by Gow Langsford in Auckland, Paul Nache gallery in Gisborne. Page Galleries in Wellington, the Diversion Gallery in Picton and Central Art Gallery in Christchurch.

In this episode you’ll hear John talk about how painting portraits of his community elders allowed him an unexpected opportunity to learn about his whakapapa, how he learned more about what paint can do from house paint and painting houses than he did at art school, the creative license he applies to mythologies to bridge cultural gaps, his occupation of the twilight zone, the deliberate variation of surface of a support he prepares to paint on… and how he is an intuitive abstract painter, accidentally making representational paintings.

Page Galleries John Walsh Web Page

Gow Langsford John Walsh Web Page

Paul Nash Gallery John Walsh Page

The Central Art Gallery John Walsh Web Page

John Walsh Wikipedia Web Page

John Walsh Instagram

The Good Oil Instagram