Sign In / Register
Collaboration is the new exhibition at the Mangawhai Artists Gallery, which brings together two artists exploring the creative possibilities between photography, collage, and painting.
It features the work of photographer Bernard Callinan and mixed media artist Keri Craike, presenting a series of works that merge their distinct practices into a shared artistic process.
Immersed in each other’s creative worlds, Callinan and Craike began exploring how their individual mediums could combine to form artworks that still hold narrative, emotional depth and visual impact. The exhibition showcases the first outcomes of this experimental partnership, where photography, collage, and paint are layered to produce pieces that invite viewers to pause and connect.
“We were curious about whether photography, collaging and painting could merge into something that still conveyed a story and feeling that resonated with the viewer,” Craike says. “We’ve both found the process incredibly exciting, and our ideas and thoughts have been pretty abundant.”
For Craike, art is a deeply spiritual and expressive practice. Since exhibiting at the Matariki Art Exhibitions in 2024 and 2025, she has committed to developing her professional career including enrolling in the Milan Art Institute Mastery Art Program. Her work explores connection, healing and intuition through experimental mixed media techniques.
“I see my art as a living expression of wairua – spirit and connection. I want the work to tell a story while also offering healing, reflection, upliftment, and even a sense of play.”
Callinan approaches photography with a ‘painterly’ sensibility, capturing scenes faithfully through the lens before transforming them through textured post-processing. The result blurs the boundary between photograph and painting.
“My aim is not only to historically record a place and time, but to connect with the viewer and invoke feelings of peacefulness, joy and wonder. I want people to feel like they can step through dimensions and be present in the scene.”
The artists note that these pieces are only the beginning of an ongoing artistic journey together.
Mangawhai Artists Gallery, 45 Moir St, Mangawhai is open daily 10.30am to 3.30pm (from 9am on Saturdays). Collaboration is on show until Thursday April 2.
