CULTURE

Holly Zandbergen’s upcoming exhibition, Elemental Lands, invites viewers into a visceral encounter with Aotearoa’s untamed south. From alpine ranges to the deep greens of Fiordland, her canvases pulse with movement and light. Through thick, gestural layers of oil paint, she captures not just what the landscape looks like — but how it feels. Each impasto stroke embodies the terrain’s rugged spirit, transforming pigment into texture, energy, and emotion. Paint here is more than medium; it becomes a metaphor for the living connection between the artist and the elemental forces she channels.

Born in Timaru, Zandbergen’s journey has been one of international acclaim and deeply personal evolution. After earning recognition early in her career — including the 2015 Best Young Artist award at the National Open Art Competition at London’s Royal College of Art — she was represented by Rebecca Hossack Gallery in London, exhibiting across global art fairs from Toronto to New York and Hong Kong. Returning home in 2016, she reconnected with New Zealand’s landscapes and has since exhibited in Auckland, Christchurch, and Arrowtown, each body of work revealing new depth in her ongoing dialogue between nature and form.

In her own words, Zandbergen approaches painting as an experiential act, where speed, force, and motion activate meaning. Every mark is both instinctive and intentional — a bridge between thought and form, interior emotion and external landscape. Elemental Lands continues that exploration, presenting works that are luminous, tactile, and alive with the pulse of place.

Elemental Lands opens 4 December at Craig Potton Gallery, Nelson.
For exhibition details and sales enquiries, visit craigpottongallery.co.nz.