Rachel Walker & Rika Nagahata Solo Exhibition - NZ Birds & Nature

Alfred Memelink Artspace Gallery

After their successful exhibition together last year, Petones' seaside gallery is excited to welcome back Rachel Walker & Rika Nagahata for another exciting, collaborative exhibition inspired by New Zealand birds and nature.

Rachel 'Walker has had two previous sell out exhibitions at Artsapce Gallery and as well as presenting new, original paintings for this exhibition, Rachel will also exhibit a new series of limited edition prints. Rachel's pen and ink artworks draw on her awe and love of New Zealand nature, her drippy, energetic style is both loose in form and precisely detailed, capturing the attitude and beauty of our birds, sea creatures, reptiles and wild animals. Rachel graduated at Massey University in Wellington and her career to date has included a number of successful solo gallery exhibitions, creating cover art for magazines, school journals, album covers and wine labels.

Rika was born in Japan and studied at the Osaka Art University where she majored and graduated in printmaking. She moved to New Zealand in 2008 and now mainly uses ink and watercolours to create originals. Many of her exquisitely beautiful artworks feature New Zealand birds with a special connection to her homeland, she has dressed them in kimono's, so beautifully painted that you can almost feel the silk with your eyes. Her patterns and fine lines reflect the intricate process of etching and this unique connection gives her works a special feel and presence that enables the viewer to be entranced and get lost in each of her artworks.