As life shows time and again, Auckland is home to many people who care deeply about the visual arts. Each year, exhibitions showcasing works by New Zealand’s top artists attract a great deal of interest. So the opening of the first art fair at The Button Factory has naturally drawn plenty of attention and excitement.
All the artists taking part in this exhibition live in New Zealand, though many originally come from other countries. I am proud to say that five of them are Russian speakers.
The first impression visitors get from this exhibition is the sheer variety of styles and artistic directions. This is what intrigues and attracts people: the diversity on display. The artists work across a wide range of fine art forms. Some have found a clear niche and developed a distinctive style they remain true to. Others are still experimenting — trying new ideas, materials and techniques, and exploring different directions. Some are still searching for their own voice, while others intentionally blur boundaries and combine styles. But all of them use their skills to share their thoughts and feelings, and to present their unique view of the world.
For the audience, what matters most is the energy you can sense — or sometimes feel only subtly — in an artist’s work. The subject, colours or composition might be secondary if a work truly ‘hooks’ you and draws you back again and again. This is often the case with abstract works: they can feel mysterious, as if the artist is inviting us to unlock something deep in our minds. Many pieces here are fascinating for how they mix photography with painting, producing stunning realistic or abstract images.
There is so much more to say about the diversity on show, but let’s get to know some of the artists:
TeMuri/Timur Tsiklauri (Georgia-NZ) is one of the driving forces behind the exhibition. You can read more about him in the December issue of Our Harbour (#127, 2024). Timur is a multidisciplinary artist whose main passion is finding beautiful in everyday life. He often combines photography with painting — first photographing an image, then digitally processing it before painting over the printed canvas. The result is striking and memorable (Photo 1).
Irina Velman (Russia-NZ), previously featured in Our Harbour (#116, 2023), works with both traditional and experimental techniques. You’ll see vivid floral composition alongside abstract pieces created with liquid acrylics. Irina is also a designer — her work appears on a wide range of gift items and stationery produced by a New Zealand-Australian company (Photo 2).
Anastasiya Kozyryeva (Ukraine-NZ) finds inspiration in the beauty and grace of the female body. She uses photography as her base, setting her subjects against lush natural backdrops filled with vibrant plants and flowers. Her style is guided by the aesthetics of the late 20th century (Photo 3).
Nick Fedaeff (Kazakhstan/Russia-NZ) has been drawing since childhood. His work often references surrealism and the old Renaissance masters, leaving viewers with the sense that there is more to his stories than meets the eye. Nick’s paintings have been shown many times in New Zealand, Australia, Europe and the USA (Photo 4).
Vadim Kudambaev (Russia-NZ) creates oil and acrylic paintings inspired by nature, including several landscapes featured in this exhibition. His coloured pencil sketches are particularly intriguing: at first they may seem like simple, fleeting abstractions, but the longer you look, the more your imagination is engaged, drawing you into the ideas behind them (Photo 5).
The exhibition also included remarkable works by Vlado Petrovic (Serbia-NZ), Aram Huerta (Mexico-NZ), Harlem Shine (NZ), Mathias Wyatt (France-NZ) and Revecca Richmond (NZ).
To all the artists who shared their works at this exhibition — keep dreaming and creating! May you continue to surprise and delight us, and find inspiration in all you do. We look forward to seeing where your journeys take you next. Patience and good luck to you all!
Elvira Tavleeva, Auckland (translated by Lena Naumova)
