Wild South Seas & Other Landscapes - Graham Stichbury

This exhibition features “The Wild South Seas” series which is a number of imaginary oil paintings by Graham Stichbury - accompanied by a map which shows where the south seas subjects are located. This imaginary coast is constantly lashed by storm-driven waves and wild winds which, along with unpredictable currents, have resulted in a number shipwrecks.

“The Four Horsemen”, “Dreadnought Bay”, and “Pegasus Point” are several features found along this unforgiving coast. Early adventurers explored these waters and sealers made primitive camps in a number of bays. These paintings reveal the harshness of this seldom visited environment.

In this exhibition there are also a number of other seascapes and landscapes of subjects from Northern Hawkes Bay down to Central Hawkes Bay. They include glimpses of the mountain ranges, rivers, lakes and coastal areas that help make this eastern land such a visually attractive and special place to explore.

Graham Stichbury is a Napier Artist who enjoys painting seascapes and landscapes in oils. Born and raised in Gisborne he became interested in drawing, painting and photography at an early age.

Graham became a primary school teacher and taught at a number of New Zealand locations allowing him to explore the country and expand his artistic interests. He and his wife, Sue, took up teaching positions at International Schools in Vietnam for twelve years and Uzbekistan for two years. He successfully published two books during this time which featured photograph collections and text in both Vietnamese and English.

Graham organized photography exhibitions to raise money for local charities. After fourteen years away from New Zealand they returned to Napier and now fully retired Graham can concentrate on his painting. He has had several exhibitions and his work is to be found in personal collections in New Zealand and overseas.