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Amelia grew up on a high country station in Canterbury, New Zealand where her great love for animals was born. After spending many years away from home, filling up on life experience and learning worldly lessons abroad, it is back in the hills and surrounded by four legged inspiration that she currently resides.
Amelia gained her art tuition during her high school years in Christchurch. She received a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Otago, achieving majors in both Art History & Theory and Theatre Studies and completed her studies at the University of Amsterdam. Some career highlights include being employed as expedition artist for the ‘Tracing Tea’ documentary filmed in India; A commission from the dairy conglomerate Fonterra to do a series of paintings and prints depicting the dairy industry, with those works now hanging in prominent company locations around the world; And in 2015 her work ‘Distinguishable’ was bought by Lincoln University, New Zealand to form part of their art collection. She has held and continues to hold solo and group exhibitions around the country and has her artwork hanging in numerous local and international collections. Amelia also writes and performs professionally as an actress under the name Amelia Dunbar. |
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ARTIST STATEMENT
...With special thanks to my beloved furries. “As a creator I have always been interested in depicting the world around with my own lens overlaid. Living the bulk of my life on a high country station means that my greatest influence has been all things animal. These moving, lively creatures always prove a challenging and dynamic subject and have given me the vehicle for years of exploration and experimentation in my art practice. I never seem to be satisfied with realistic depictions or colourways and I have found great enjoyment in showing my affection for these animals through texture, abstraction and palette. I try to challenge myself to depict a familiar subject but make it not immediately obvious. When a viewer works to complete the puzzle in their own way, they then own part of it and are invested in that experience and artwork and in turn, make it their own." PAST EXHIBITIONS/AWARDS
2021 - Hurunui Garden Festival - Flaxmere 2021 - Artspace Tekapo group exhibition - Tekapo 2019 - 'Let Them Eat Hay' - Solo exhibition, The Shelter, Chch 2019 - 'Mustering The Muscle' - The Artist's Room, Dunedin 2017 - 'Bulls Gold' exhibition - The Artist's Room, Dunedin 2017 - Craigs Aspiring Art Prize - Winner 2016 - King's College Art Fair - Invited artist 2016 - Art House Tour, Auckland - Invited artist 2016 - Sensational Selwyn Awards - Arts and Culture - Winner 2016 - Craigs Aspiring Art Awards - selected artist 2015 - 'Distinguishable' purchased by Lincoln University for the permanent art collection 2015 - Group exhibition – Animals- Selwyn Gallery 2015 - Culverden Fete group exhibition selected artist 2015 - Craigs Aspiring Art Awards - selected artist 2014 - Solo exhibition – Imaginary Menagerie – XCHC Christchurch 2012-13 - Travelling exhibition with The Bitches’ Box and Mel Parsons 2011 - Guest artist at The Culverden Christmas Country Fete 20th year 2011 - Solo exhibition – Heads and Tails - Longbeach, Mid Canterbury 2010 - Solo exhibition – Beefed Up - Smyth Galleries, Auckland 2009 - Joint exhibition with Deb Britten - Smyth Galleries, Auckland 2003 - ‘Mother Daughter Exhibition’ - Akaroa 2003 - Rangi Ruru Charity Auction 2002 - Selwyn Exhibition – awarded Malvern Community Arts council ‘Young Achievers Award’ 2001 - Group exhibition ‘Anna Guild and Friends’ – Selwyn Gallery, Darfield |
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