Helen Ollivier
Maungawhau II
Acrylic on Board
250 x 250 mm
Sold
Artist Bio
Helen Ollivier is a contemporary landscape painter, renowned for her evocative depictions of Auckland’s west coast beaches and the awe-inspiring vistas of New Zealand’s Great Walks.
Her practice spans both small and medium-scale works in acrylic on board, where she exquisitely blends expressive and precise brushwork to evoke a seamless, dream-like quality in her portrayal of the landscape and sky. The balance of control and fluidity within her compositions invites the viewer into a space where nature’s rhythm and movement are felt rather than merely observed.
Through contemplative observation of the light, colours, and textures of Aotearoa’s landscape, Ollivier captures the contrasts inherent in the natural world, imbuing her paintings with a serene tension that navigates the boundary between stillness and dynamism. In works that offer space for immersive introspection, the viewer is invited on a journey through the delicate interplay of form and atmosphere. A depth in understanding of nature’s complexity is evident in the quiet elegance of Ollivier’s pieces, each one a window into an expansive yet intimate vision of the Aotearoa’s native environment, and our place within it.
Ollivier’s adventurous parents were based in Nigeria at the time of her birth, and the young family continued to live there a further year before eventually returning to New Zealand and settling in Auckland. Ollivier went on to graduate from Elam School of Fine Arts (1997) and, after a series of successful solo exhibitions at Parnell Gallery between 1996 and 2008, took a hiatus from her studio practice to focus on raising her family and founding ‘Wild Things’, an art school for children. In late 2022, she reignited her artistic journey, motivated by a renewed sense of connection to the New Zealand landscape. Her works are held in private collections across New Zealand and internationally.
After a long-standing association, Parnell Gallery, which initially represented her from 1996 to 2008, resumed representation of Ollivier in 2023.