Deirdre Thorsen-Lavery is an established New Zealand artist who has been exhibiting since 1975. She paints in a semi-abstract style combining non-respresentational elements with a personal symbolic mythology. Her works have a unique vitality and energy, exploring strong colours, light and dark, often in a grid composition.
Over the last decade Thorsen-Lavery has mainly painted in oils both on board and canvas. She also has created multi-layered painted assemblages, exploring shape in a variety of forms, for example the crucifix and totem.
Thorsen-Lavery trained in art education in 1971 and 1972 and has combined art teaching with painting and performance poetry. Her first painting show was at the C.S.A. (now COCA) in Christchurch in 1975.
Canterbury artists, Leo Bensemann, Alan Pearson, Quentin MacFarlane, Philip Trusttum, Lusk and C.Moray de Morand were early mentors and influences and under her former painting name of Tupper she features in the book "The Life and Art of Alan Pearson" and was the subject of many of his early portraits in the 1970s.
As a reviewer writes "Thorsen-Lavery writes and paints with a combination of passion and reserve that gives her work an edge of potency, yet allows it to become completely accessible.
She is currently living in a farming valley in Hawke's Bay, New Zealand whre she writes poetry, paints, and rides her horses.
To enquire about more artwork from Deirdre Thorsen Lavery please click here.
Situated in Napier, Hawkes Bay, Statements Gallery is one of New Zealand's leading
private art galleries. The gallery showcases exhibitions of contemporary
paintings, sculpture and applied art from New Zealand artists.
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