All four Forrester Gallery exhibitions of the new year are showcasing talent from the Waitaki.

The “four-show extravaganza” is made up of works from Peter Cleverley, Eion Shanks, Trish Shirley and Katie Waite.

In 2021, the Forrester Gallery began working with Peter Cleverley on a solo show that celebrated his past and present, comprising the gallery collection, private collections, and his current work, Forrester visual arts curator Imogen Stockwell said.

Zeitgeist: Works by Peter Cleverley cemented Peter as a New Zealand artist and commented on his significance and contribution to contemporary painting, she said.

The exhibition includes the first work of the Kakanui-based artist that the Forrester Gallery purchased back in 1984 through to his most recently finished works. 

Peter will be giving a painting workshop as part of this exhibition on March 11 and 12, but spaces were limited so those interested should book in with the Gallery as soon as possible, Imogen said.

“It has been a real privilege to work with Peter Cleverley on Zeitgeist: Works by Peter Cleverley.

“Peter’s work has a strong connection to the Waitaki region, and his practice has always been supported by local collectors.”

Peter retired from teaching at the Otago Polytechnic three years ago, and now has time to explore new ideas with his painting. 

“It feels right to be having this solo exhibition at the Forrester at a time of transition in his career,” Imogen said.

The New Nine is a new exhibition by Eion Shanks that examines climate change. Eion has drawn on the David Attenborough documentary Breaking Boundaries: The Science of our Planet for this show. 

In standard Eion practice, there is a strong current of black humour that runs through the exhibition to bring our attention to this issue, using oil and charcoal on board.

A sample of Trish Shirley works from her exhibition Alchemy currently on display at the Forrester Gallery. PHOTO: Ashley Smyth

Alchemy is an exhibition of Trish Shirley’s work that celebrates artists as alchemists who create meaning by taking ingredients – concepts and materials – and transforming them into artwork.

The colourful exhibition of mixed media collages made people think about how artists worked their magic, the idea of transformation and the impact that creating had on the artist themselves, Imogen said.

Katy Waite is a new exhibiting artist for the Forrester Gallery. Her show, Soulstice is a celebration of Katy’s love of colour. 

The works are the result of a New Zealand autumn and winter in lockdown and then a spring and summer in Portugal.

Next Thursday (February 9) at 5.30pm all four artists will be speaking as part of a Pecha Kucha Evening at the Forrester Gallery. 

Peter, Eion, Trish, and Katy will all share their ideas and talk about their exhibitions in a Pecha Kucha style presentation. 

A Pecha Kucha presentation is a format that uses 20 slides or images that are displayed for 20 seconds each.

The exhibitions opened to the public on Saturday. Zeitgeist: works by Peter Cleverley and The New Nine are on display until April 2, and Alchemy and Soulstice are on display until March 26. Entry is free.