Chrys Hill

Chrys Hill has recently returned to Whanganui after living overseas for many years in Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Hong Kong.

Chrys has a Honours in Painting from Auckland University where he studied under Colin McCahon, and a Masters of Fine Art from RMIT University in Melbourne.

Chrys has been exhibiting in New Zealand, Australia, Malaysia, India and the UK since 1969. The development of his work shows a desire to reformat the presentation of traditional Western painting. He has exhibited paintings as zigzags, scrolls on desks or walls and draped across the floor. He adopts a challenging stance to traditional media and frequently includes a variety of techniques in a single work. Images can be printed, collaged, scratched and gouged in thick impasto or lavished in gold leaf.

The complexities of Chrys’ works are possibly best summed up by critic Stefan Tengbland when he wrote of a retrospective exhibition … “this show is a real pleasure and will allow for an ecstatic experience for those in the know. At the very least, it is a fact finding mission for those unsure of their visual literacy”.

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.