Portraits and Personalities

14 May 2004 - 1 May 2005
Monica Richards Gallery

A Goddess of Mercy (date unknown) Rita Angus Oil on canvas Collection of the Gallery, purchased by Christchurch City Council 1956

An exhibition featuring self-portraits, family portraits and portraits by and of New Zealand artists, drawn from the Gallery’s sculpture, painting, photography and works on paper collections.

This new exhibition at the Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu, offers unique perspectives on the Gallery’s permanent Collection.

Portraits and Personalities: Portraits from the Permanent Collection, explores self-portraiture, family portraits and portraits of New Zealand artists in the Monica Richards Gallery, and is drawn from the Gallery’s 5,500 work collection.

Christchurch Art Gallery Manager, Public Programmes, Hubert Klaassens says the exhibition allows visitors to experience familiar and little known works from the Gallery’s collection in a new context.

Portraits and Personalities explores portraiture in a variety of media, from painting and works on paper, to photography and sculpture. The exhibition focuses on works by New Zealand artists, and includes portraits by Elizabeth Kelly, Grahame Sydney, Olivia Spencer Bower and Alan Pearson.

“Portraiture has a long history, which provides both a window into a place and time, and an insight into concepts of identity and the nature of how we perceive others,” says Hubert Klaassens.

“The image of a face or head holds a fascination for audiences.”