Alysn Midgelow-Marsden

There is a contemplative narrative formed through the patterns and figures in my works, along with the working of a mostly unconscious human ancestral memory swaying in the tides of unseen forces.

Alysn Midgelow-Marsden is a contemporary fine artist from Auckland with a northern European heritage. Her sculptures (tabletop and wall-mounted) are intricate mixed-media combinations of textiles, metal or found plastics, gilding, canvas, gesso, verdigris, and stitching.

Alysn’s work is inspired by her curiosity with the human psyche. She is driven by her background in science, her continuing interest in the natural environment, and her attention to the social stereotypes associated with textiles and stitching. She combines her environmental interests with a fascination for the traditions of different cultures and times, finding connections in shared human experience.

My practice delivers an invitation to create pleasurably intimate connections to personal experiences through subconscious, visceral, and emotive interactions. Marked visually by a complex, lyrical fluidity, the sculptural works articulate connections, responses, fragility, and strength.

Alysn’s complex mixed media sculptures present forms and figures whose meaning are largely open to the viewer’s interpretation. Themes emerge slowly in her gentle yet obsessive mazes of stitching or crochet as she exploits the boundaries of the surfaces and creates subtle combinations of colour and material.

Alysn has received awards for her work at national and international exhibitions, including the Mandurah Wearable Art show in Australia (for a work entitled ‘What Lies Beneath’); the Wall Brooches II exhibition in Australia (for ‘Taniwha’); and Nelson’s Changing Threads show in New Zealand (for “The Spaces Between VII”).

Art by the River is a modern Whanganui gallery, opened in December 2024. The gallery features a mix of emerging and established contemporary New Zealand artists, alongside an exclusive art Collectables selection of New Zealand fine art prints and paintings. As an art dealership and collector, we include rare and sought-after artworks by internationally recognised artists such as Gretchen Albrecht, Banksy, Damien Hirst, Ralph Hotere and, Andy Warhol. We are committed to supporting NZ artists through a regular art gallery exhibition in-house, connecting both NZ and international art collectors with meaningful artwork, and contributing to Whanganui’s unique cultural environment.