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Untitled 12/19
Merthyr says all art helps humans get in contact with their emotions.
A Tawharanui artist has made the finals of the 2020 Parkin Drawing Prize and is in with a chance of winning $25,000.
She created her work Untitled 12/19 by making gestures on a board with a cloth loaded with paint.
“The blue and yellow I used for this work are complementary colours, which create their own energy when placed alongside each other,” she says.
Merthyr comes from a family of painters, writers and singers and completed a visual communication degree at Wellington Polytechnic in the 1970s.
She exhibits her work at NorthART in Northcote and Railway Street Gallery in Newmarket.
It is the third year in a row that the Parkin has shortlisted one of her works.
The Parkin Drawing Prize was launched by New Zealand arts patron Chris Parkin eight years ago.
Finalists for the 2020 prize will be showcased at the New Zealand Academy for Fine Arts in Wellington from August 4 to 30.
Mr Parkin says it will be interesting to see what works and themes come through in the exhibition, especially after experiencing such a turbulent year.
“I’m pleased with my timing to increase the prize money to $25,000 because it’s been a difficult year for many people, especially artists impacted by Covid-19,” he says.
The winner of the 2020 prize will be announced by Charlotte Davy, head of art for the Te Papa museum, on August 3.
