An internationally-acclaimed artist whose new-found love of the Granite City has inspired her latest collection of works has secured her place as the University of Aberdeen’s Artist in Residence 2005.
Since beginning her career as a professional artist, Rhondda Greig, from New Zealand, has held solo exhibitions regularly in New Zealand and in Japan, where she has been invited solo exhibitor in Toyko, Yokohama and Kyoto.
In 2000, she was commissioned by the Landmarks Trust of New Zealand to create a monument to New Zealand women. This took the form of a multi-media installation of oil painted canvas and etched glass, which is situated in St Paul’s Cathedral in Wellington, New Zealand. In 2001, she undertook a commission for the Wairarapa Cultural Trust to create a coloured glass-text installation for the entrance foyer in Aratoi, the new Wairarapa arts and history museum. Rhondda was recently short-listed in a prestigious competition to design the New Zealand memorial for Hyde Park Corner, London.
An overview exhibition of Rhondda’s work opens this week in Aberdeen’s Marischal Museum, displaying some of her most recent drawings created in Scotland as well as samples of her wide range of work. The exhibition, entitled Rhondda Greig, Artist in Residence – An Overview, will be on display until September 2005. This will be followed by a display of her work from during her time as Artist in Residence at Marischal Museum.
Pat Ballantyne, of Marischal Museum, said: “Rhondda works in a wide range of media – oils, watercolours and prints, as well as glass and wood in works that have been commissioned to suit specific sites.
“She has many art works in public collections and in private collections throughout the world.
“She has also written and illustrated several children’s books.”
Rhondda added: “I have been working on a series of paintings called Find the Sun, two of which are in the exhibition.
“I have also included a series of charcoal drawing: Meditations on the Haar, these being the very first drawings I created here.
“I had never experienced such weather before coming to Aberdeen. Journeys to the west coast over the last couple of years have resulted in the Highlands and Islands drawings series, which is also on display.
“All of these works have been a means to finding my way in my new environment.”
During her residency, which runs until December 2005, Rhondda will be working on an exhibition of oil paintings. These will be shown at Marischal Museum at the end of the residency, alongside some of the objects from New Zealand held in the museum’s collections. Rhondda will base her residency work on the museum’s collections, and will lecture about her work in the autumn.
Marischal Museum is located in Marischal College in the centre of Aberdeen. Entry to the museum is free and it is open from Monday to Friday, from 10.00am to 5.00pm and on Sundays from 2.00pm – 5.00pm.
For further information, call (01224) 274301 or email: museum@abdn.ac.uk.