Jayne Thomas

Jayne Thomas is a New Zealand figurative artist based in Kaipara in Northland. She is known for her encaustic oil and wax paintings, where pigments are mixed with hot, liquid wax and painted onto canvas for brilliant and vibrant colour. Her work mainly focuses on representations of people.

…faces, gestures, clothing and possessions all have a story to tell, revealing aspects of the person within the shell. To freeze and transfer a moment. To capture a person’s life. Giving a visual representation is not a summary of that person’s life, and definitely not all there is to tell. It is not possible to read an individual’s life in one image because we are made up of layers and we are complicated. I'm searching for the blueprint, the mark of the maker, the beginning of what we become.

Jayne has been inspired by other figurative artists such as Vanessa Beecroft, Rineka Dijkstra, and Marlene Dumas. She is interested in humanity, character, anonymity, and what creates these questions or concerns within us. Contemplating the story of Adam and Eve in one exhibition, she noted that you don’t have to be religious to appreciate the themes in the story, especially the shame associated with nudity.

When do we sense our nakedness? When do we stand on that edge which tilts us from being happy in our own skin? When do we become aware of how different we are? I think it is getting younger, that edge, our own tree of knowledge, the internet constantly informing us how we should look, what to wear and who to be.

Born in the UK, Jayne immigrated to New Zealand with her parents and settled first in Henderson before moving to Helensville and now Kaipara. Her formal training was conducted at Hungry Creek Art and Craft School for a year before going fulltime at Ruthorford College to attain a certificate in Visual Arts. Jayne went on to teach art at the Get Creatives Suburban Titirangi program.

Jayne’s paintings are collected for their vibrant colour and striking presentation. She has work in the UK, Europe, and the USA as well as nationally in New Zealand.

Jayne’s work is featured in the book, New Zealand’s Favourite Artists 2.

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.