Clyde’s Eade Gallery is presenting several solo exhibitions during spring highlighting the work of celebrated South Island artists.

Philip Beadle 

October 2021

Christchurch painter Philip Beadle’s rich subject matter will have wide appeal when he debuts his solo exhibition.

“My immediate environment of Christchurch, the Canterbury Plains, the Southern Alps and the Banks Peninsula inspire my artworks that are mostly in oil but I also create dry-point prints and etchings.”

Travelling around New Zealand and observing seasonal landscapes, especially in winter and autumn, offers a range of subject matter.

“ Low light and shadows are intriguing and over the past few years I have spent more time in Central Otago enjoying the contract and drama of the big skies and landscapes here. Most of my work for this solo exhibition is of landscapes close to Clyde and some a little further afield.”

Philip has worked as an artist for 30 years often alongside his late uncle Peter Beadle, a well-known Queenstown and New Zealand artist.

 After visiting museums and galleries in Europe as a young man he started visualising his future artistic direction.

“ I am interested in the emotional response to a subject.  It could be a glare on water or a pose seen for a millisecond as someone moves in everyday life,” he says. “I am motivated to create an exciting painting surface with abstract qualities and enjoy painting in warm low evening or winter light to resolve form, colour and light into a warm companion on the canvas.”

“I try to develop my art without outside influence rather I endeavour to enjoy the process of painting as much as possible and continue to push my boundaries.”

Peter Langford 

November 2021

Central Otago artist Peter Langford’s first solo ceramic exhibition features a goldmining theme inspired by a visit to the Goldfields Mining Centre in the Kawarau gorge.

“ It gave an exacting insight into how hard locating and extracting gold from a very difficult river must have been. The blood, sweat and tears that motivated the gold miners are all central themes to my new works plus of course the ever-present allure of actually discovering gold.”

Peter enjoys the discipline required for throwing and decorating ceramics and his style has recently progressed to be more creative and freer when glazing his pots.

“ This is more akin to my background as a painter. Using a variety of different techniques including dipping, dribbling and spraying I’ve aimed to create pieces that are one-off works of art which is exciting.”

“I’ve always enjoyed the elasticity of clay as a medium –the feel of the earth in your hands. I studied pottery as part of my fine art course at the Otago Polytechnic in the 70s, then returned to it in 2014 after a long hiatus where I focused on design for television, international events and tourist attractions.”

Peter is relishing the opportunity to host his first solo exhibition at Eade Gallery.

“As a member of the Auckland Studio of Potters I’ve been a regular contributor to their frequent annual exhibitions and am looking forward to showcasing my work locally in Clyde.”

Indigo Collective

December  – January 2022

 An exciting solo exhibition featuring eight artists under the collective name of Indigo will feature at Eade Gallery in December and January.

The artists include Rachel Hirabayashi, Luke Anthony, Jillian Porteous, Nigel Wilson, Judy Cockeram, Lynne Wilson, Megan Huffadine and Shaun Burdon. 

“ Rather than sharing a common philosophy we celebrate difference by curating our exhibitions to allow varied conversations between the works,” says Megan. “Our artwork ranges over painting, ceramics, sculpture and mixed media.”

The Indigo group has taken the unusual step of not basing themselves in any location, rather choosing to create bespoke exhibitions in different towns throughout the country. 

“ There is no shared aesthetic, philosophy or conceptual concerns within our group. It’s these contrasts that give rise to stimulating dialogue at our exhibitions and why curating the shows is an important aspect of our group practice.”

The eight artists have been colleagues for several years and all live in Central Otago. 

 “ It’s a very informal set-up and we get together to share ideas and suggestions for exhibitions. We are all involved in talking with galleries, writing proposals, curating and hanging our works which is quite unique,” says Megan. “We’ve had several exhibitions to date and are very much looking forward to being at Eade Gallery this summer.”