About

Viv Wotton

Originally from the small North Otago town of Oamaru, I now currently live and practice in Christchurch, New Zealand. After a career within the banking and corporate environment (and time off raising three girls) I began formal art studies in 2013, graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Art with Whitecliffe College of Arts & Design (Auckland) at the end of 2016.

As a practicing artist these days I predominantly work in oil painting, print-making and drawing - although my practice is varied and I enjoy working in whatever medium feels natural. I particularly enjoy the manual process of painting and print-making exploring the materiality of each medium. My creative process and the sourcing of reference material to paint from or find inspiration has always meant photography is important, but it's so much more to me than a means for gathering information. I almost always have a camera (or my iPhone) in my hand, and I'm forever capturing moments, landscapes, architecture (or street art) wherever I go. I'm a natural magpie!

Thematically, much of my work continues to explore and evoke ideas about how identity, connection, trace, residue and belonging can be constituted through place. I'm particularly interested in gesture and subtlety when it comes to portraiture... capturing those small, often unspoken moments in time.

Although I tend to operate (and have a huge passion) within the landscape field, I also paint in portraiture and this is something I would like to do more of. Drawing will always be a passion and charcoal with all its smeary 'messy-ness' and it's ability to suggest a space or motion is just fine by me too. I will give just about anything a try if I feel drawn to a particular mode, medium or theme... so even watercolour botanicals have become a favourite in smaller pockets of time!

To date artwork has been selected into the First Thursdays, Pop-up exhibitions in Christchurch, and successful sales resulted following graduating exhibitions from third and fourth year studies. Work has also been sold in two separate exhibitions supported by Allpress Café (central city CBD). Following my first solo exhibition at The Anchorage in March 2018, a small regular amount of commissions and a wider following has continued to grow. In 2019, I was selected as a finalist for the Molly Morpeth Canaday Painting & Drawing Award (Whakatāne) and a successful solo show at CoCA (the Centre of Contemporary Art - Toi Moroki) followed where all works sold. Between commissions and my own creative work, my practice is now widening and I feel I'm finally finding my feet.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about my practice, are looking into a commission piece, or simply want to know more. I'm an open book!

P: 027 232 9730

FB: Viv Wotton - Fine Artist

Insta: vivwottonartist

C.V.

Education

2016

BFA - Whitecliffe College of Arts and Design, Auckland

2013 - 2015

Advanced Diploma in Fine Arts - Design & Arts College of New Zealand, Christchurch

2012

Certificate of Foundation Studies - Design & Arts College of New Zealand, Christchurch

Achievements

2019

Finalist - Molly Morpeth Canaday Painting & Drawing Award

2015

Invitation to exhibit in Christchurch shows and galleries

Exhibitions

Solo Exhibitions

2019

... Lost In Aotearoa, CoCA Gallery, CHC

2018

Viv Wotton, The Anchorage, CHC

2015

Landscape & Memory, Allpress Café, CHC

Joint Exhibitions

2020

It Takes Two: Harriet Millar & Viv Wotton

Baird Gallery (Rangi Ruru)

(Group Exhibitions

2016

BFA Graduates, Whitecliffe College of Arts and Design - The Artbox, CHC

2015

We need to talk..., Design & Arts College of New Zealand, CHC

Frock Friday, Money for Cambodia fundraiser, Oamaru Portside

2014

First Thursdays, The Fitting Room, Pup-up exhibition, CHC

Continuum, Design & Arts College of New Zealand, CHC

2010

Art Festival Night Auction, Oamaru

Other

2010

Reality Bites Café, CHC

Grants & Awards

TBA.