Oliver Perkins

Oliver Perkins is a New Zealand artist who lives and works in Christchurch. Perkins takes the constituent elements of painting production as material for aggregation and intervention. Seen and unseen materials like canvas, cardboard, dye, rabbit skin glue, ink, stretcher bars, dowel, and staples are employed as actors in a network of painting practice to be redistributed and realigned, offering new modes of being with and experiencing painted objects.

Perkins studied at Christchurch School of Art & Design (CPIT) from 1999-2002. In 2005, he was awarded the TANZ Scholarship, which saw him awarded a Master of Arts from Chelsea College of Arts, London. Perkins’ work has been included in Touching Sight: Conor Clarke, Emma Fitts, Oliver Perkins, Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū (2020) and Necessary Distraction: A painting show, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki (2015).In 2017 Perkins was awarded the Parehuia Artists’ Residency at McCahon House, Auckland, which resulted in the exhibition Japanese Laurel, Te Uru Waitakere Contemporary Gallery, Auckland (2017).