​Exhibiting an ever-changing selection of contemporary painting, wall art, sculpture and glass.
Black Door Gallery is situated in a charming historic villa in the heart of Parnell, Auckland.

FEATURED | BEHIND THE BLACK DOORS THIS MONTH

TABLEAU CITY
RYAN CARTER
​
NOVEMBER 29- DECEMBER 12

Ryan Carter is an Auckland-based artist whose captivating sculptures, crafted from glass and resin, invite viewers into intricate worlds where time, illusion, and the body intersect.

​​In his latest exhibition, Tableau City, Ryan Carter draws on his career as an actor and writer to explore his obsession with the intricate details that any given moment or thought can contain. The forensic nature of his medium inspires a near-clinical dissection of whatever is present within the layers, allowing these fleeting, pedestrian occurrences to warp, exaggerate, and pixelate into the fantastical. Chaotically bouncing between warm nostalgia and existential dread, the work creates a sensory overload of humorous, violent, sexy, wild, dull, uneasy, lonely, and joyous moments. These moments endlessly form and fade around us, reminding the viewer that perception is the only barrier separating the ordinary from something theatrical.

In Tableau City, Carter captures the dichotomy of modern Western existence. We are all the main character, yet no one is. Every moment holds weight, yet no moment truly matters. Tableau City captures something expansive, in a tiny glass box.
SHELLEY MASTERS
INTERIOR MONOLOGUES
NEW WORKS
Auckland-based painter Shelley Masters crafts poignant visual narratives that explore the interplay between light, architecture, and the human condition. His work captures moments of introspection, evoking a sense of interior monologues and private reflection. Drawing on his fascination with architectural spaces, Masters uses lighting to create mood, enhancing the emotional resonance of his compositions.

Figures in his paintings act as narrative anchors, their gestures and postures hinting at untold stories. His work delves into themes of solitude, connection, and the thresholds of change, offering spaces where contemplation and storytelling converge.

View Shelley Master's works here
ANNA LEYLAND
PERSPECTIVE VI
LARGE SCALE RELEASE
We are pleased to release an impressive new large-scale work from Anna Leyland titled Perspective VI. Created over many months in the artist's studio this piece offers incredible hand painted detail in person.

Utilising pattern making and symbolism, Anna's art reflects her appreciation for the beauty in her surroundings and the diverse cultural tapestry of New Zealand society.

Using careful masking techniques, she layers geometric designs to create a compelling optic effect, while metallic paints add a lustrous, opulent quality. Perspective VI is a striking piece, perfect for making an impact in an interior.

View Perspective VI here
ROZI DEMANT
MERRY GO ROUND
NEW WORK
Merry Go Round, takes a bold and imaginative leap into the surreal, using the carnival carousel as a powerful metaphor for the cyclical nature of existence.

Set against a vast, dreamlike landscape, the work features the undulating mountains and soft, sweeping skies that are signature elements of Demant’s practice, evoking the Catalan vistas that inspired surrealist giants like Salvador Dalí.

The carousel transforms into a stage for a procession of fantastical animals—each embodying a symbolic representation of different states of being. As they circle in eternal motion, these creatures evoke themes of innocence, curiosity, entrapment, and liberation, continuing Demant’s exploration of how animal forms mirror the complexities of human experience. 

View Merry Go Round here

BEHIND THE BLACK DOORS | A GALLERY VIEW