The Studio Gallery presents Bon Coeur's exhibition

The Studio Gallery presents:

Bon Coeur, an exhibition of paintings by Wellington artist ,PETER DONOVAN. Opening Monday 19 September, 5:30 - 7:30.

Peter Donovan lives in Wellington, and is recognized as one of New Zealand’s top naïve painters. His work is held in the James Wallace Charitable Arts Trust Collection, as well as in several private collections.

Born in Hastings in 1949, he grew up near to the largest freezing works in NZ, the Watties plant, swimming in the cool Hawkes Bay rivers, walking bare foot in summer through melting tarseal roads, and surrounded by market gardens that fed the larger centres… the period of the seemingly idyllic summer.

The son of a cartoonist, he was encouraged to draw, from the time of his youth. Later, he studied at Ardmore Teacher’s College, when it was a melting pot of culture- an outpost for students from both provincial New Zealand and further a-field around the Pacific. James K. Baxter often visited here, and his influence reaches into work shown in this exhibition.

Peter’s works are iconic. In this exhibition, we see symbols and images that are reflections, of the ‘life and times’ of the era that Peter grew up in and is a part of, including Watties NZ Pears, and images from Rotorua in the 1930’s.

Peter is an industrious painter, exhibiting annually at the Christopher Moore Gallery, in Wellington, amongst others. He and his work are featured in Richard Wolfe’s “All Our Own Work: New Zealand Folk Art” [1997, pp. 76 &130. Penguin].

This is Peter Donovan’s second show at The Studio Gallery.

The Studio Gallery
385 New North Road
Kingsland

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