Adventurous and experimental, Whanganui painter Edith Collier was one of the outstanding artists of her era in Aotearoa New Zealand. This exhibition takes a fresh look at her achievement, at a time of growing international interest in the work of women modernists.
Born in 1885, the eldest child of a successful businessman, Edith studied at the Wanganui Technical School of Art and Design. With the support of her parents, she sailed to England in 1913 to pursue her career, living in London during the First World War and painting in England and Ireland. Guided by inspiring women teachers, Margaret McPherson (later Preston) and Frances Hodgkins, she developed a bold, dynamic style, based on the principles of post-impressionism.
This is the first major survey of Edith Collier’s art since 1999. It is accompanied by a new book with more than 150 illustrations and contributions by 24 writers, including family members and the descendants of the people Edith painted. The publication is a partnership between The Sarjeant Gallery, Massey University Press and the Edith Collier Trust.