Roles reversed for painter
Ngaire Hewson is more used to promoting other artists’ work than her own.
As an owner of the Several Arts Gallery and shop in Colombo Street in the late 1960 s and early 19705, she was used to exhibiting other people’s works.
It has taken her until now to hold her first solo exhibition and she is adamant that she is doing so to cut her links with the past.
“The exhibition is really a death to the past and a hope for the future. All the paintings (with two possible exceptions) are for sale. I just want them gone so I can get on with the future.”
The future for Mrs Hewson means more time for her art, and now that is print making. The paintings on show from October 20 at Ritchies Fine Arts in Gloucester Street represent 30 years of painting. There are about 25 in the show. Part of her reluctance to exhibit them stemmed from her lack of confidence because she never had formal art training, Mrs Hewson says. She put that right by attending the University of Canterbury School of
Fine Arts as a part-time student in the 19605. "When we moved to Christchurch from South Canterbury I moved away from my spiritual roots. I found it impossible to paint. Going to art school let me meet Rudi Gopas, who taught me the basics of painting.” She had a continuing association with Rudi Gopas, later acting as sole agent for his works at Several Arts. Her other art training has been in painting groups with such people as Olivia Spencer-Bower. Once this exhibition is over she wants to concentrate on print making, an art she was introduced to at Several Arts by printmaker Eileen Mayo. “With painting you can produce something without having formal training. Printmaking is technical and you need to know those techniques before you can produce prints.” Mrs Hewson is a member of the Canterbury and South Canterbury arts societies and has travelled in Europe and Australia studying painters and gallery management. Her exhibition at Ritchies will continue until October 29.
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Press, 15 October 1986, Page 23
Word Count
354Roles reversed for painter Press, 15 October 1986, Page 23
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