Acrylic and gold leaf on board

500mm x 500mm

Annie Smits Sandano's native bird series combines her abstract form-based style explored in her wood cut prints. A new approach to making paintings which were rooted in figurative elements of New Zealand iconography culture.
Within this new series the iconic Tui has been chosen as the main focal point for the exploration of colour, composition and movement within the formal development of this series of paintings. This native New Zealand bird is also so deeply rooted in the collective consciousness - from its song and silhouette to the distinctive feather throat plume. 

Annie is primarily driven by an interest in investigating the basic interaction between line and colour via materiality and/or process.

‘My visual cues are broad: from painting to ceramics to printmaking, everything interests me. I seek to create images and objects which operate on a visceral level and incite an emotion which transports the viewer. Colour, light, texture & shapes are all key concerns throughout my practice. A lot of the satisfaction in making comes from working with materials & my work is process-driven.’ - Annie Sandano