Behold the Beauty of Aotearoa’s Striking Landscapes
Kylie Rusk: Solo Art Exhibition
30 October – 10 November 2018, The Grey Place
Indulge in the awe-inspiring beauty of Aotearoa’s magnificent landscapes when Kylie Rusk opens her solo exhibition of
paintings and limited edition lithograph prints. At The Grey Place gallery in Grey Lynn, from 30 October to 10 November 2018.
Inspired by the stirring natural beauty of Aotearoa’s magnificent landscapes, Rusk’s paintings and lithographs are an
expansive and emotionally expressive illustration of her strong connection with the land. Feeling personally connected
to her work is a vital aspect of her creative process, so she always visits and photographs a scene and then carefully
transforms it into an original painting or lithograph.
An exploration of colour, form and texture, Rusk endeavours to produce paintings that encompass the majestic beauty of
the land, together with the fragility and isolation of New Zealand’s more remote areas. Kylie’s personalised style of
painting incorporates a variety of techniques including the building up of acrylic paint layers and washes to create
mood and energy to give the image a real life of its own.
Rusk’s speciality is her lithography. Having won the presitgeous Hahnemuhle Printmaking Award from the Elam School of
Fine Arts, Auckland she has continued to hone her craft in this unique artform. This historic form of printmaking
involves drawing, painting with tusche and etching onto stone, before printing the image on a lithography press. The art
of using tusche is a tricky process due to the unpredictable nature of the paint. An artist can never know how it will
dry, etch and print and that it is these features in which Rusk says “is a reflection of nature itself”.
Her rich and unique prints represent multi-layered seascapes, presented in a painterly and moody style. Rendered with
warmth and sensitivity, each edition is limited in number ranging anywhere from 20 to 50 prints.
Hailing from Hukerenui, a small country settlement a half hour drive north of Whangarei, Kylie was passionate about art
as a young girl. This fascination led her to move to the big smoke of Auckland to study at Elam School of Fine Arts.
Kylie was drawn to creating artwork celebrating the landscape of her home that she missed and yearned for. The act of
recreating Aotearoa’s picturesque terrain in a painting or print means she can bring the soothing scenery of the country
with her into the hustle and bustle of urban life. Since moving out to the seaside town of Muriwai, she continues to be
inspired by the untamed power and beauty of the region.
Over the past ten years her work has been put on show at numerous exhibitions in a variety of locations, including
Burning Issues in Whangarei, Seed Gallery and Lane Gallery in Auckland, The Art Depot Space in Devonport, and The
Waiheke Community Art Gallery.
EXHIBITION DATES
30 October – 10 November 2018
The Grey Place
Opening 5pm-7pm 30 October 2018