About

Biography

Grant Whibley was born in Tokoroa, New Zealand. He was raised in Whakatane. He received his Masters at Elam School of Fine Arts in 1997. He was taught by artists such as Don Binney, Dick Frizzell and Denys Watkins. His work is influenced by Expressionist art and Oriental art and has been typically described as “painterly”. He has been the recipient of numerous art awards and continues to create paintings to express his ideas. He currently lives in Auckland and has two children. Grant Whibley has focused on the bird portrait and images of the land for most of his art career and is currently also working on figurative imagery.

Statement

In my Art I express my visual conviction that New Zealand is a bi-cultural nation. That New Zealand has a uniqueness to it in its national identity between the two cultures of Maori and Pakeha. I paint with urgency and aim to move quickly to the next idea. My drawings are done in line only for direct immediate imagery. My art influences are based in Expressionist art and Oriental art for their stylistic and symbolic analogies. In my landscapes I also frequently use repetitive marks resembling chisel marks from Maori carving for texture and space. I explore three themes continually that underline my Christian outlook on life. They are New Zealand bird portraits, landscapes and figurative images. As an artist, my images do not adhere to one moment, but are gathered together by periods of time which become born into myth and stories about New Zealand.

ARTIST CURRICULUM VITAE – GRANT WHIBLEY

QUALIFICATIONS

1997 M.F.A Elam School of Fine Arts

Auckland University (First Class Hons)

1995 Auckland College of Education

Diploma of Teaching (Secondary)

1994 B.F.A Elam Schoolof Fine Art

1984 Diploma of Figurative Studies

Whitecliffe Art School, Auckland

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2017 The Flea, Forrester Gallery, Oamaru

2014 New Works, Remuera Gallery, Auckland

2012 The Elements, Whitespace, Auckland

2011 New Zealand Birds, Whitespace, Auckland

2009 Manu. A survey exhibition,Papakura Art Gallery, Auckland

Grant Whibley, Whitespace, Auckland

2008 Returning, Whitespace, Auckland

2007 Leitmotif, Rotorua Museum, Rotorua

2006 Dominion, Waiheke Gallery, Waiheke

2005 The Nakahi, Milford Galleries, Auckland

2003 Passing Away, Milford Galleries, Auckland

2002 Poseur, Judith Anderson Gallery, Auckland

Shadow View, Milford Galleries, Dunedin

1996 Recent Works, ASA Gallery, Auckland

Loss of the Real (Casino as Metaphor) George Fraser, Auckland

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2019 Rubicon, Northart, Auckland

2013 Stations of the Cross, Northart, Auckland

2012 Cliftons Art Awards, Auckland

2011 The Drawings Show, Northart, Auckland

Re Animations, Pukekohe Art Gallery, Auckland

Auckland Art Fair, Auckland

New Zealand Art Show, Whitespace, Auckland

Group Show, Whitespace, Auckland

2010 Chorus, Franklin Arts and Cultural Centre, Auckland

Nga Manu, Whakatane Museum, Whakatane

Molly Morpeth Retrospective, Whakatane

2009 Waikato National Art Awards, Hamilton

Chorus,Whitespace, Auckland

James Wallace Art Awards, Auckland

Drawings,Group Show, Northart, Auckland

Whitespace Summer Show, Auckland

2008 Whitespace Summer Show, Auckland

Team McMillan BMW Art Award, Auckland

Steve Moase and friends,Tutukaka, Whangerei

P10+14GM, Franklin Arts and Cultural Centre

2007 Hermitage, Northart, Auckland

Group Show, White Space, Auckland

2006 Second Five, Northart, Auckland

Invested, Waiheke Gallery, Waiheke

2004 Transit of Venus Show, Milford Galleries, Auckland/Queenstown

Molly Morpeth Canaday Awards, Whakatane

Waikato National Art Awards, Hamilton

Waiheke Group Show,Waiheke Gallery, Waiheke

The Summer Show, Milford Galleries, Auckland

2003 Under the Influence, Wallace Trust Gallery, Auckland

Waikato National Art Awards, Hamilton

Into the Night, Waiheke Gallery, Waiheke

Milford Galleries Group Show, Auckland

Summer Show,Milford Galleries, Queenstown

Norsewear Art Awards, Hastings

James Wallace Art Awards, Auckland

2002 Second Exposure, Northart Gallery, Auckland

James Wallace Art Awards, Auckland

Waikato National Art Awards, Hamilton

Goldwater Art Awards, Waiheke Gallery, Waiheke

2001 Goldwater Art Awards, Waiheke Art Gallery, Waiheke

2000 Goldwater Art Awards, Waiheke Art Gallery, Waiheke

1999 James Wallace Art Awards, Auckland

1998 Earth Below / Sky Above, Wallace Trust Gallery, Auckland

1997 James Wallace Art Awards, Auckland

1996 James Wallace Art Awards, Auckland

Out of Your Tree Awards,Carterton

Condenser Installation,Wallace Trust Gallery, Auckland

1995 James Wallace Art Awards, Auckland

The Post Show, 23a Gallery, Auckland

1994 Tinsel Time, ASA Gallery, Auckland

Installed, ElamPainters, ASA Gallery

Ivy Copeland Portrait Awards,ASA Gallery

The Post Show, CSA Gallery, Christchurch

1993 Recent Works, Texan Art School, Auckland

The Teps Show, Outreach, Auckland

Diversities,Elam Painters ASA Gallery, Auckland

Dangerous Liaisons,CSA Gallery, Christchurch

George Fraser Gallery, Elam painters, Auckland

Buddle Finlay Elam Art Awards,Chiaroscuro Gallery, Auckland

1990 Contemporary Art Awards, Wellington Museum

Publications

2011 Its All About The Image, by Dick Frizzell, Published by Random House New Zealand Ltd

2009 Manu.a survey exhibition, Papakura Art Gallery, Auckland, text by J. Daly-Peoples and Lindsey Britton

2008 Returning, Whitespace, Auckland, text by Andrew Gomez

2003 Painting a Bird Nation, Art News (winter edition) text by Virginia Were

Articles

2011 Re-Animations, Heidi Brickell and Leon Tan

2009 Becoming Pakeha-questioning the use of native birds in representation as a means of exploring New Zealand post settler identity in visual art, Katherine Wilkin-Slaney

2007 Hermitage, Sue Gardiner

2003 Under the Influence, J. Daly-Peoples

2002 Second Exposure, J. Daly-Peoples

Awards

2004 Molly Morpeth Canaday Awards, Overall Winner

2003 Norsewear Art Awards, Premier Award

2002 James Wallace Awards, Emerging Artist Award