Helen Ollivier

“The title Are We There Yet? is both playful and profound,” explains Ollivier. “It references that familiar question from childhood journeys but reminds us to value our present position rather than fixating solely on where we’re heading. The paths, or sometimes lack of them, represent our journey through life, with all its uncertainty and wonder.”

The paintings within this body of work are inspired by personal travels with Ollivier’s family across the country’s Great Walks, Auckland’s West Coast beaches, and the Hauraki Gulf. Each painting begins with photographs taken on these trips, then carefully cropped and composed to highlight the landscape’s rhythm, geometry, and curves. Her process, spending days walking, photographing, and then thoughtfully composing before beginning painting, imbues each piece with spontaneity and quiet intention.

What sets Ollivier’s work apart is her use of asymmetrical balance and compositional tension: tracks that disappear, looming drop-offs, or obstacles in view. These elements create a push and pull between accessibility and challenge, mirroring the experience of navigating life’s uncertainties. “Many of the images I settle on involve tension,” she says. “They show a distant destination, but I also paint the foreground, where I am now.”

 Are We There Yet? offers a reflective space where anticipation meets presence. In tracing unknown paths, Ollivier reminds us that beauty lies not only in the destination but, more importantly, in the journey itself.