Wednesday, 13 May 2026

Playfulness, humour and colour on show

    1. Southland
    2. The Ensign

    Michael Armstrong, Self-Inflicted, January 30, 2024, acrylic on unstretched canvas.
    Michael Armstrong, Self-Inflicted, January 30, 2024, acrylic on unstretched canvas.
    Abstraction, vibrant colour and humour are the hallmarks of a new exhibition at the Eastern Southland Gallery.

    Michael Armstrong’s "Paintings from a Recent Past" presents a selection of recent canvas paintings that showcase the Timaru artist’s distinctive expressive figures, dynamic line work, and vibrant, energetic use of colour.

    Michael Armstrong, As We Disappear Backwards, December 29, 2022, acrylic on loose canvas.
    Michael Armstrong, As We Disappear Backwards, December 29, 2022, acrylic on loose canvas.
    "This exhibition highlights Michael Armstrong’s distinctive visual language — where bold colour, expressive figures, and energetic line work converge to create works that are both playful and incisive," gallery programmes officer Marcella Geddes said in a statement.

    Armstrong, a graduate of the University of Canterbury and recipient of the 1984 Frances Hodgkins Fellowship, has exhibited regularly since 1969 and previously taught at Aoraki Polytechnic (now Ara Institute).

    Michael Armstrong, Auto da Fe, August 1, 2022, acrylic on loose canvas.
    Michael Armstrong, Auto da Fe, August 1, 2022, acrylic on loose canvas.
    His accolades include a QE2 Arts Council grant and the 1990 CSA Guthrey Travel Award, and his work is represented in major public collections throughout New Zealand.

    Admission to the exhibition is free. — Allied Media