Bio

Clark is a New Zealand contemporary painter. He is concerned with figurative, realistic subject matter and portraiture. Since living in Wellington, Clark has embarked on a journey of learning, honing his craft through a diverse array of teachers. Constantly pushing himself to try new areas of art, Clark loves to experiment and try notoriously difficult subject matter. In his work he wants to portray an honest and striking image to elicit emotion and a sense of imaginative, disrupted realism.

Clark Was a finalist in both the Adam portrait award in 2022, recipient of the Adam judges prize 2024 and a finalist in the Molly Morpeth Canaday award and Parkin Drawing Prize 2024. Gallery shows of note include Solo show Face Cards, (Te Auhaha, Wellington) Artists on Artists, (Twentysix, Wellington and Studio one toi tu, Auckland) Skullduggery (Thistle hall, Wellington) Magical realism (Thistle Hall, Wellington) and Touch (Webb’s Auctions, Wellington)

Statement

In my artistic pursuit, Breathing vitality into an oil painted image is what I aim to accomplish. Taking the still image and collaging the subject to evoke motion and emotion is something I take great pride in doing. I prefer to study the quiet and contemplative moments in everyday life and use my knowledge of traditional painting to inject power behind it.

I find profound beauty in disrupting the static nature of canvas, introducing an element of chaos that mirrors the transience of fleeting moments in time. Through this deliberate disruption I invite the viewer to interpret and unravel the layers of meaning nestled within. 

Painting in a realistic style allows me to convey my unique perspective on the tangible world. Through the interplay of colour, shadow and form I strive to capture the essence of reality while transcending its constraints.