Anya Whitlock | In Hot Pursuit of a Tale
“I imagine I’m a hostage forced to paint naked ladies for the Bratva, the Russian mafia…” — Anya Whitlock
Following whiffs of nostalgia to rediscover what she was instinctually drawn to in childhood, Anya Whitlock’s first solo painting show sees her delve into childhood fairy tales, using hindsight and research to understand the various stages and psychological traps that a woman can become damaged and broken by.
“Fairytales are often cautionary tales and it is possible if attentive to avoid many booby traps and also deeply heal present hurts,” she explains.
Her obsession with adventure and new sensations has taken her around the world, and given her tales to tell – from being shot at and tear gassed by the Israeli Army in a demonstration against the barrier wall in The West Bank, to being stoned by kids in Egypt. She’s been followed, chased, scammed by Cambodian mafia, threatened, harassed and stood on the street in the middle of the night with nowhere to sleep in strange cities… and that’s just the good stuff.
Since returning to New Zealand in early 2009, Whitlock has committed to painting full time, portraiture a resonant and haunting practice for her. She works from a leafy studio north of Auckland, where she creates her arresting large-scale paintings; their Utopian and seductive depiction of the female form underlined by something darker and slightly sinister.
What: Anya Whitlock: In Hot Pursuit of a Tale.
When: 31st August- 2nd October, Preview 5:30pm August 31.
Where: Pierre Peeters Gallery, Parnell, Auckland.
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