Exhibition Mangawhai Gallery

Gallery open daily 10.30 am – 3.30 pm and on Saturdays from 9 am.

‘On the Same Tide’, the new exhibition at the Mangawhai Artists Gallery celebrates the work of two artists inspired by the ocean. It coincides with the 35th anniversary of the Big Dig.
Suzanne ‘Zan’ Simpson is a fine artist and illustrator. Equally at home with oil paint and digital media, if she isn’t painting, she is illustrating and moves fluidly between the two.
“My work is deeply influenced by the ocean, colour, light, and the rhythms of nature,” says Zan. “Through layered textures, luminous colour, and a strong sense of movement, I explore connection, nostalgia, and shared experience.
“In this exhibition I bring these threads together reflecting a practice grounded in the belief that, like water, we are shaped by the same currents even as we move in our own directions.
“I aim to capture the movement, depth, and reflective qualities of water. Through layered glazing, expressive brushwork, and subtle shifts in tone and luminosity, I build surfaces that echo the ebb and flow of the ocean. I focus on transparency, light, and texture – allowing water to appear both fluid and weighty, calm yet constantly in motion.”
Zan’s illustrative work spans children’s picture books and educational readers, notable projects include the Nanny Mihi series, where she created vibrant, character-driven illustrations that blend humour with storytelling around intergenerational knowledge, well-being and gardening.
Visitors may also observe Zan painting live during the exhibition, offering insight into her process and the evolving nature of her work.
Lael Read is a New Zealand ceramic artist working across wheel-thrown and hand-built forms. Her work includes functional objects that invite daily use, while allowing space for variation, texture, and the subtle marks left by hand and process.
“This exhibition marks a departure from my usual functional work with a collection of entirely hand-built ceramic vessels inspired by the garden and the ocean,” says Lael. “The work focuses on form shaped slowly through touch, intuition, and material response.
“The vessels reference natural movement and organic structure, echoing plants, and corals, layered surfaces, and quiet asymmetry. Rather than direct representation, these influences are felt in the way each piece holds space, curves, or opens.”
Lael’s connection to clay began early and was later formalised through hand building and wheel-throwing classes, where she developed a strong technical foundation and an intuitive approach to form. She works fluidly between structured wheel work and more exploratory hand-built pieces, often allowing the material itself to guide the outcome. No two works are the same, and that individuality is central to her practice.
Based in Mangawhai, Lael produces small-batch ceramic collections alongside one-off pieces, firing her work in her own studio kiln. She also teaches pottery workshops, sharing practical skills and encouraging a thoughtful, hands-on relationship with clay.

Details: www.facebook.com/mangawhaiartistsgallery