Maria Kemp
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Maria Kemp’s landscapes unfold like woven fabric- layered with memory, movement, and the shifting patterns of the southern land
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available works
BIO
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Dunedin-based artist Maria Kemp creates contemporary landscape paintings inspired by the distinctive terrain of southern New Zealand.
Drawing from the regions of Otago her work reflects a deep connection to place, memory, and the rhythms of the natural world. Many of her paintings are shaped by personal recollections of the landscapes she grew up with, transforming familiar scenery into evocative and symbolic compositions. Central to Maria’s practice is an exploration of pattern, movement, and interconnectedness in nature. Flowing bands of colour and simplified tonal planes weave through her compositions, echoing the contours of hills, valleys, and shifting light across the land. These layered forms resemble folds of fabric or woven tapestries, creating a sense of both structure and fluidity. As the artist explains, this visual language was inspired by a Psalm describing the earth as “stretched out like fabric,” with folds and patterns like garments. Working primarily in oil on board and canvas, Maria focuses on colour, form, and atmosphere. Her carefully balanced palettes shimmer with the luminous qualities of the Otago landscape. With a painting career spanning more than two decades, Maria Kemp is an established New Zealand artist whose work is held in private collections throughout New Zealand, Australia, the USA, the UK, and Canada. Her paintings are also represented in significant public and institutional collections, including the Dunedin City Council and Wellington Public Library. |
In Situ
past works
