Philippa Blair

Blair was taught by Rudi Gopas at Ilam Art School at the University of Canterbury in the 1960s, and cites his teachings as a major influence on her work. She lives and works in Los Angeles and comes home to Auckland to exhibit most years. Blairs choice of subject matter ranges from the personal to the universal. Her work is not solely abstract, figurative or landscape and she is often referred to as an expressionist, derived from her use of vibrant colours and highly energised surfaces. Her paintings convey with a sense of poetry and mysticism how people, events and beliefs affect her life. In this sense her paintings are a personal journey of discovery as the artist tries to fathom her world. Her commissions appear in various collections, including large murals in the Aotea Centre in Auckland.