Artists
Rebecca Smallridge

Artist Works
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Rebecca Smallridge
RS Kakaruia – South Island Robin 5/30. sold 4/30 sold 26/30 sold
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Rebecca Smallridge
RS Symbiosis #3
Artist Biography
Rebecca Smallridge is a visual artist working from her home studio in Otautahi Christchurch. Graduating from the Christchurch Polytechnic School of Art and Design with a Bachelor of Design in 2009, Rebecca has an active exhibition practice both nationally and internationally and has been included in group and solo shows since 2007. A recipient of the Mortlock McCormack Law Art Award in 2009 and a finalist in the Zonta Female Art Awards in 2020, her paintings, original woodblock prints and ceramics are held in private and public collections throughout Aotearoa. This exhibition at Chambers Gallery is the practical outcome of her Masters in Media Arts research project through WINTEC under supervision at Ara Institute of Canterbury.
Symbiosis
2022
Symbiosis: A close connection between different types of organisms in which
they live together and benefit from each other.
This new series of work is a continuation of an overarching theme that
addresses various environmental concerns or observations. In this case, the
watercolour paintings explore the fascinating exchange between trees, plants
and fungi via the mycorrhizal network present in Aotearoa’s forest
ecosystems.
My paintings explore the inherent beauty and ecological value of wild places,
whilst examining the connections within nature and humanity’s vital role
of land stewardship. I begin by creating puddles of wet on wet paint, ink, and
natural pigments on the floor, which are later overlaid with botanical shadows
and observational drawings.
Imagined biospheres blur the seen and unseen to visually capture the mauri
or life force present in Aotearoa’s indigenous forests.
Regeneration – 2020
‘Regeneration’ is a new series of paintings I have developed over the last two years, and the outcome of my Master of Arts research project. As the title suggests, my practice focuses on environmental concerns, in this case, the sharp decline in our indigenous biodiversity due to human intervention. I have drawn attention to the temperate forest ecosystem of Paparoa National park, an area of national significance I share an affinity with. I’m interested in the inherent beauty and ecological value of wild places, whilst examining the interconnections within nature and humanities vital role of land stewardship.
My new works begin on the floor. I’ve employed a wet on wet watercolour technique where I drop ink and natural pigments onto a flat surface and allow the media to expand and overlap into organic shapes. Shadows of leaf forms are layered and integrated with observational drawings of native, botanical specimens.
Rebecca Smallridge is a visual artist working from her home studio in Otautahi Christchurch. Graduating from the Christchurch Polytechnic School of Art and Design with a Bachelor of Design in 2009, Rebecca has an active exhibition practice both nationally and internationally and has been included in group and solo shows since 2007. A recipient of the Mortlock McCormack Law Art Award in 2009 and a finalist in the Zonta Female Art Awards in 2020, her paintings, original woodblock prints and ceramics are held in private and public collections throughout Aotearoa. This exhibition at Chambers Gallery is the practical outcome of her Masters in Media Arts research project through WINTEC under supervision at Ara Institute of Canterbury.
Selected exhibitions:
2020 Regeneration, masters show, Chambers Gallery, Christchurch
2020 Zonta Female Art Award, finalist group show, Ashburton Art Gallery
2020 Shared lines:S, group show, Birdo Flugas gallery, Sendai, Japan
2019 Reverie, group show, BNZ Centre, Christchurch
2019 Shared Lines Kaikoura/ChCh, group show, Kaikoura Museum & The Arts Centre, Christchurch
2018 RSM Law Art Show, group show, Aigantighe Art Gallery, Timaru
2018 Art Auction Fundraiser, group show, Fixate Gallery, Christchurch
2017 Shared lines:W, group show, Thistle Hall, Wellington
2017 AM Art pop up show, group show, Chambers, Christchurch
2017 SB Surf club Art Auction, group show, Christchurch
2015 Homeland, two-person show, The Chambers Gallery, Rangiora
2015-17 Ruapuna School Art Auction, group show, Blenheim
2014 Birdsong, group show, Kereru Gallery, Mapua
2014 GASP! group show, Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Wellington
2013 Present, group show, Tin Palace, Lyttelton
2013 With Child, group show, Little River Gallery, Little River
2013 Shared Lines, group show, Toi O Tahuna Gallery, Queenstown
2013 Shared Lines, group show, Canterbury Museum, Christchurch
2013 Shake it up, group show, SOFA Gallery, Christchurch
2013 Natural Selection, group show, Selwyn Gallery, Darfield
2012 Shared Lines- Sendai/Christchurch Art Exchange, group show, Sendai Mediateque & Birdo Flugas Gallery, Japan
2011 Christchurch Earthquake Exhibition & Art Auction, group show, The Suter Gallery, Nelson
2010 Fragile, solo show, CoCA Gallery, Christchurch
2010 MortlockMcCormack Law Retrospective, group show, CoCA Gallery, Christchurch
2010 Works on Paper, group show, ARA campus, Christchurch
2009 Modus Operandi, group show, NG Gallery, Christchurch
2009 Ripe, graduate exhibition, Convention Centre, Christchurch
2009 In the Making, group show, NG Gallery, Christchurch
2007-13 WAI Annual Art Exhibition, group show, Waikuku
Artist Exhibitions
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24th Aug 2022 - 10th Sep 2022: Karen Greenslade, Rebecca Smallridge, Kim Lowe, Andy Waugh
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25th Aug 2020 - 12th Sep 2020: Rebecca Smallridge – Regeneration, Alix Ashworth – “Singing them home, Karen Greenslade – Where the Creek Runs