Born 1954
George Gray is a contemporary artist based in Auckland.
Gray creates large-scale oil paintings on fine Belgian linen, his chosen oceanic subject includes both above sea level vistas and vast and vibrant underwater scenes.
Through many sensitively applied layers of pigment and transparent glazes, Gray builds sublime and otherworldly scenes that could border on fantasy were it not for the sense that these scenes are so familiar and connected to the real, to landscapes and underwater gardens that exist on and below our coastlines.
A self-taught painter, Gray recalls selling his first painting at age thirteen and realising from a very early age the joy and all-consuming feeling painting offered, for both the artist and the viewer. “I paint what I do because I am privileged to see beauty in what I behold. I paint the places I love because they personally inspire me. We intuitively know what is right and balanced in the natural things around us. When the eye engages that balance, it feels at ease and wholly satisfied with the view. To recreate even a shadow of the divine perfection is such a great honour. “
Parnell Gallery has represented George Gray since 2018.
