Kirsten Lovelock

Kirsten is a local Dunedin artist who is largely self taught. Her work is strongly influenced by expressionist and naïve art and she has exhibited widely, including group and solo shows. She has also won awards for her work, including the first prize in the Dunedin International Airport awards (2005) as well as the Fortune Theatre Art Awards (2004).

The strong use of colour, and light hearted nature of Kirsten's work go well with the other main characteristic of her work - her love of exploring proverbs with Anglo, Celtic, Chinese and Indian origins. Together these key elements create unique and instantly appealing works of art from a diverse and talented artist.

In November 2007, Gallery De Novo was proud to host Kirsten's solo show 'Familia'. In this significant show, Kirsten expressed various issues surrounding identity, myth, ritual and cultural narratives in her paintings. The works drew from her own family stories - explaining why we are here, where we are from and what makes us different (like all family stories). The show was a huge success with most works selling on opening night.

Kirsten Lovelock’s 2010 show is a collection of works created and conceived while living in Arizona in 2008. Lovelock’s narrative paintings were inspired by the lively debate that took place prior to the national election in the United States in 2008 and the election result which saw Barack Obama elected 44th President and the first African American President. These symbolist works draw on dominant symbols from American folk law and tradition to explore ethnicity, fear, misunderstanding, dispossession, assumed pathways and destiny.