• News
  • Nature’s beauty on show

Nature’s beauty on show

November 17, 2025 4:25pm

Mangawhai Focus


Nov 17, 2025 4:25pm

Clockwise from left: Mixed media artist Edie Chappell’s ‘Something Greater’ was inspired by the blues of sky and sea, a spiritual reflection on life’s connections and the spaces between; Acclaimed kiwi artist known for her large, powerful works exploring the meeting of land and sea, Wendy Leach’s recent series, ‘Mangawhai Pōhutukawa’ captures the strength and energy of the coastal landscape and the magnificent trees that define it; ‘Golden Oldie’ by former art lecturer and teacher, Elena Nikolaeva, who trained in Russia. Her work invites viewers to rediscover the beauty in the everyday and to look beyond the limits of routine perception; After finding his artistic calling after a gold medal-winning career in wheelchair rugby at the 2004 Paralympic Games, Steve Guthrie’s art combines expressive colour and personal resilience.

The Beauty of Nature is the title of the last exhibition of the year in the Kaipara District Council offices in Mangawhai.

Featuring the artistic works of Edie Chappell, Elena Nikolaeva, Wendy Leach and Steve Guthrie, the exhibition showcases their shared passion and celebration of the natural world. Running until January 22, the show is the 17th coordinated by Mangawhai Art Gallery members since March 2020.

Curator Janél Collé says the latest exhibition demonstrates the artists’ unique lens to nature’s beauty.

“Each artist has their own way of translating the beauty of our surroundings, from abstract exploration to expressive realism,” she says. “Their work reminds us to pause and appreciate the world through different eyes.”

The Beauty of Nature mini exhibition is open during KDC office hours, 9.30am to 3.30pm.

Fiction and art converge

20/10/2025

Mangawhai Library’s fiction room has become a vibrant hub for art lovers, thanks to a partnership with the Mangawhai Art Gallery. Since February, the space…

 /Health & Lifestyle

Totem wings its way to new home

10/03/2025

The largest artwork ever housed at Mangawhai Art Gallery (MAI) ‘Tsarina Tamara’ flew the nest on March 6, enroute to its new home in Matakana….

 /Entertainment

Home and country exhibition

05/05/2025

Pictured above from left: Artwork by Karen Vernon; Danielle Adams with her work. ‘Home and Country’ is the theme that binds together the new exhibition…

 /Entertainment