Jana Wood

I have been a practising and exhibiting artist since 2007. I am part Maori, part Scottish/Irish/English. My iwi is Ngati Raukawa ki te Tonga, Ngati Kikopiri of Kapiti Coast. I whakapapa back to the Tainui waka, and the Ngati Raukawa iwi of Maungatautari in the Waikato.

I now paint and live mostly in te Puaha o Waikato, Port Waikato. A slow, deep connection has developed with the place that I reside and work from, and the ties that it has with my own iwi are significant to me.

I completed my Bachelor of Visual Arts at Auckland University of Technology, then a Post Graduate Diploma Fine Arts at ELAM Auckland University, and a Certificate of Mauri Ora at te Wãnanga o Aotearoa.

My practice explores the intersection between place, wairua, mauri, ecology, climate change and colonisation. I use salvaged timbers and boards, raw materials from the earth and beach, as well as traditional painting and sculptural devices to convey my ideas.

My methodologies are grounded in the exploration of historical painting methods, ranging from the pre-Renaissance era through impressionist techniques to the Colourfield artists of the sixties. Slow, alchemical techniques allow me to engage intimately with my materials in studio, and then directly with the surrounding environment, as I paint in and out of nature.

Notable awards and recognition includes:

Winner of the Runner-up Zinnie Douglas Award, Waiheke Art Awards (2016), Selected finalist in The National Contemporary Art Award (2022 and 2019), Selected finalist in the The Molly Morpeth Painting Award (2021), and selected finalist in The Estuary Art Awards (2018 and 2012).

Notable Collections: The Arthouse Trust, Pah Homestead, Tamaki Makaurau.

Thank you for visiting, nga mihi me te ora