Mel McKenzie

Mel McKenzie is a New Zealand artist, based in rural Southland. Her award-winning, unique artistic narrative resides at the crossroads of reality and abstraction and is collected throughout NZ and overseas. 

With oil paint as her chosen medium, Mel represents water, land, and light in blurry, but luminous artworks. Through the application of layers of paint, points of light become shimmering ornaments on canvas. Capturing fleeting moments of beauty to elevate our daily landmarks, inviting us to explore the world anew through the artist’s eyes.

Looking at Mel’s art, is to find yourself immersed in a place of mystery, with a strong, sometimes elusive, note of familiarity. Capturing the likeness of iconic NZ scenes through beguiling, blurry paintings renders the possibility of being anywhere in the world, but those who know will recognize a painting’s reference.

Mel also brings skills harnessed from years of academic and professional work in public health, to current roles as member of the Southland Arts Society, co-founder of Shop Southland Studios and Trustee of Arts Murihiku. Along with husband Logan and 4 children, she lives - and paints - on their family farm in Seaward Downs.