Artists

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