Cam Munroe

Cam Munroe’s richly layered paintings weave together texture, symbolism, and the echoes of ancient landscapes.

Cam Munroe is a Kāpiti-based artist whose richly layered mixed media paintings evoke the textures, symbols, and mysteries of ancient landscapes. Over three decades, she has developed a distinctive practice exploring time, memory, and human presence through abstract forms and tactile surfaces.

Drawing inspiration from prehistoric sites, spiritual traces, and ancient markings, Munroe creates works that feel both historic and strangely familiar. Her motifs act like contemporary hieroglyphs—visual fragments that suggest both language and meaning, echoing the way symbols once carried sound, story, and spirit.

Using acrylic, ink, and oil, she builds and erodes her compositions with impasto, wire brushes, and sandpaper, revealing weathered, resonant forms. Originally from Australia, Munroe studied fine arts in Sydney before relocating to New Zealand in 1994.

A finalist in awards such as the Parkin Drawing Prize and the Molly Morpeth Canaday Awards, her work is held in public and private collections in New Zealand and internationally