Ken Hunt

Ken “Lazarus” Hunt is a New Zealand fine artist known for his classical realist works in oil, shaped by more than three decades of professional practice. Initially privately trained by award-winning Australian artist Chris Brown and Paul Hunt—official portrait painter to Prince Charles for the Royal New Zealand Air Force—he later deepened his craft under internationally acclaimed artists with Florentine lineage.

His paintings have appeared in prestigious exhibitions and are held in both private and public collections worldwide. His commissioned portraits of Bungo Baggins and Belladonna Took were featured in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies, introducing his work to a global audience.

Ken’s artistic evolution began with the bold immediacy of Impressionism, eventually finding its centre in the precision and luminosity of classical realism after early encounters with works by Rembrandt and Van Aelst. Working primarily in oils, he embraces alla prima, chiaroscuro, and a deeply considered approach to composition grounded in sacred geometry. He frequently incorporates the Golden Mean and Fibonacci sequence—not merely for structural balance, but to place subtle “points of beauty” at geometric intersections that quietly guide the viewer’s eye and elevate the work beyond its visible subjects.

Drawn to objects with history and character, his still lifes often feature antique books, vintage musical instruments, coloured glass inkwells, and seashells collected along the New Zealand coastline. His wife’s lifelong commitment to bird rescue has also inspired a growing body of work celebrating Aotearoa’s unique native birds. During lockdown, he created a series centred around violins and vintage music artefacts, exploring how light, geometry, and memory meet within carefully curated collections.

A former financial-sector businessman turned full-time artist, Ken brings an “accidental” but deeply personal journey into his practice—one that continues to shape his narrative and creative voice. His work aims not for photorealism but for a modern classical approach that captures light, emotion, and the quiet beauty of fleeting moments. "If someone walks away from my work feeling moved and inspired, then I’ve achieved what I set out to do."