Lumina by Luke Hollis

 

Luke Hollis has been painting people professionally for more than 20 years. Portraits and figurative works remain at the heart of his practice, drawn not only from an interest in the human figure, but from the additional possibilities that come with painting people.

For Luke, much of that interest lies in what the viewer brings to a painting. A glance, an expression or a particular pose can suggest a story, but he deliberately leaves that story open. Viewers may make their own assumptions about what a subject is thinking or feeling, and Luke is quite happy if those interpretations are different from his own.

This new collection continues that exploration. The paintings range from intimate portraits and figures caught in moments of reflection to more narrative scenes, still life elements and a rare excursion beyond his usual figurative subjects. Throughout, Luke's characteristic handling of light and loose, painterly approach bring the works together.

The frames are also an important part of this exhibition. Woodworking is another of Luke's longstanding interests and many of the paintings are presented in frames he has made himself. Some have been constructed entirely from scratch, while others incorporate or repurpose existing frames.

Much of the timber comes from carpenter friends and includes reclaimed New Zealand native woods, alongside cedar used for a number of the frames in this exhibition. Luke works with traditional hand tools, including old hand planes — some more than 200 years old — bringing them back into practical use to shape frames for contemporary paintings.

Self-taught, Luke has painted professionally since 2004 and is now based in Auckland. Early in his career he was runner-up in the Molly Morpeth Canaday Art Awards in 2004, followed by First Equal and the People's Choice Award in 2005. His work is now held in private collections in New Zealand and internationally.

At its heart, however, this exhibition is very simply about Luke continuing to paint what interests him: people, objects and images that catch his attention — and leaving us to find our own stories within them.

 

Luke in his studio

  • Exhibition Dates

    15 August to 30 August

  • Watch Luke Talk about the Exhibition
    Watch Video
Oil painting of a young woman in a pale off-the-shoulder dress, her face turned downwards, with warm light catching her hair against a softly painted background, by Luke Hollis

Where the light falls

$3,200

Oil painting of a young woman in profile with her hair pinned up, wearing a white dress and holding pale flowers against a softly painted blue-green background, by Luke Hollis

Poise

$4,200

Oil painting of a young woman with long dark hair and a pale off-the-shoulder dress, surrounded by softly painted orange flowers and luminous blue-green tones, by Luke Hollis

Shimmer

$5,000

Oil painting of a man wearing a brimmed hat and long coat, standing with a rifle beside a river or wetland amid loosely painted grasses and trees, by Luke Hollis

Taking Stock

$4,000

Oil painting of a young woman resting her head on one hand beside a table of pottery, fruit and grapes, wearing a dark bodice with pale gathered sleeves, by Luke Hollis

Another time

Sold $5,800

Oil painting of a young woman with softly gathered hair and a long braid, her head turned downwards, wearing a striped dress against a luminous blue-green background, by Luke Hollis

A quiet light

$4,200

Oil painting of a young woman with long brown hair wearing a pale loose-sleeved dress, seated at a table with fruit, pottery and flowers beside an open window, by Luke Hollis

Luminous

$3,000

Oil painting of a young woman with flowers in her hair, wearing a pale ruffled off-the-shoulder dress and holding a bowl of green fruit beside pottery and oranges, by Luke Hollis

When no one's watching

$5,000

Oil painting of a young woman with auburn hair wearing a pale off-the-shoulder blouse and pink skirt, seated outdoors against a dark landscape and blue-grey sky, by Luke Hollis

Last of the light

$2,900

Oil painting of a young woman with long dark hair, her head turned downwards, with warm golden light across her face and hair against a loosely painted background, by Luke Hollis

Half light

$1,800

Oil painting portrait of a young woman with dark hair, her face turned upwards and illuminated in pale blue, pink and warm orange tones against a deep blue background, by Luke Hollis

Luminance

$1,800

Oil painting of an older bearded man wearing a flat cap and coat, seated and reading an open book held in both hands, painted in earthy muted tones, by Luke Hollis

Tall Tales

$4,000

Contemporary portrait painting of a young woman illuminated by soft blue and golden light, rendered with atmospheric brushwork and dreamlike realism, oil on board by NZ artist Luke Hollis

The Soft Hours

$2,200

Intimate contemporary portrait of a woman with flowing red hair captured in warm luminous light and expressive painterly texture, oil on board by New Zealand artist Luke Hollis

Bathed

$1,950

Romantic contemporary portrait painting of a young woman bathed in glowing natural light with soft impressionistic brushwork, oil on board by NZ artist Luke Hollis

Sun Touched

$1,950

Contemporary portrait painting with rich painterly texture and soft romantic tones, featuring a poised female figure against a glowing blue background, oil on board by NZ artist Luke Hollis

Lush

$2,200

Atmospheric contemporary portrait of a woman framed by deep crimson tones with delicate realism and dreamlike expression, oil on board by New Zealand artist Luke Hollis

Allure

$2,200

Luminous contemporary portrait of a young woman framed by warm golden backlight and soft expressive brushwork, oil on board by New Zealand artist Luke Hollis

Sunlit Silhouette

$1,950

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