Helen Dean Solo Exhibition
07 - 19 June
Opening: Friday 7 June from 5pm.
Though having completed a Fine Arts degree with honours in 1995, Helen didn’t fully commit to painting until 2015, when she finally found her rhythm in the abstract style. Originally from the U.K., she has called New Zealand her home since 2003. Helen found that her move away from Auckland city life to being surrounded by Waitakere’s lush nature re-awoke her artistic vision, after a long hiatus from painting.
With this series Helen continues her exploration of colour, texture & line. Building up multiple layers of paint & wash, through beautiful movement of her brush, the work reveals pockets of complexity, translucent planes & painterly marks. A continuous student of colour, form, and how paint works, Helen is a firm believer that you never stop learning.
In making the paintings, Helen has become increasingly aware of the temporal nature of the process; not just the time taken to make the work but the way time seems to stop or speed up, the way thoughts, recollections shape & reshape the work. Her intuition primarily guides her hand—she enjoys the freedom to respond to any happy accidents, contributing to the natural and uninhibited nature of her paintings.
Helen reflects on her process as being absorbed in the act of painting. The body moves forward but the mind moves back & forwards in time, personal memories reflect fleeting thoughts & places in an endless loop. Time moves on & the paint become a snapshot of a 1000 moments.
This exhibition opens on the back of a very exciting recent project for Helen - she was commissioned to make a significant collection of original works for the suites at Skycity’s new Horizon Hotel. Helen has also worked with Juliette Hogan on a collab and featured in much loved New Zealand interiors magazines. When you view Helen's work it is easy to see why her work is so loved on so many levels.
"Colour & Time” is Helen's first solo exhibition, after a very successful joint show in 2022.
Mark you diaries, this is not an exhibition you want to miss.
ONLINE PRESALE: Thursday 6th June from 7pm - head to the home page for the link.
View full catalogue HERE.
