Briar Tucker
" Tea " Soft Pastel on Paper, Framed, 69 cm x 48 cm
Born and raised in the countryside of New Zealand, Briar Tucker developed a passionate imagination and pursued her creativity through acting and art. During her schooling, her enthusiasm for art grew, taking up painting and photography. Upon leaving college she attended Elam School of Fine Art in Auckland, New Zealand. After graduating with a BFA in 2007 she continued to reside in Auckland to further cultivate the experimental painting she had begun in her final year. During this time she exhibited work and curated joint shows with veteran Elam artist Peter Reid. However, with a deep desire to travel and explore the world she traded in her paints and canvas for a plane ticket. For almost a decade Briar travelled and lived in several countries, experiencing new cultures, languages and ways of living, gathering ideas, philosophies and new perspectives.
While residing in Vietnam in 2017 Briar decided to reestablish her art practice, but due to spatial restrictions and having been inspired by the incredible work of Zaria Forman, she decided to return to realist drawing. Using soft pastels for the first time, she found a special affinity with the medium so persevered in developing her skills.
In the early stages, her work focused around technique. Colour and light being integral elements which she explored, seeking to create drawings that utilise the dynamic qualities inherently found within them.
Today her work still applies these foundations while becoming directed towards her curiosity for the human psyche; the nature of emotions, behaviours, the conscious and unconscious mind, and how to employ these fundamentals in human nature in order to provoke emotional responses.
Briar has already gained exposure both nationally and internationally. She has attended artist residencies in China, and has artworks in private collections worldwide.
My inspiration comes from the world around me. Nature is an artwork in its own regard and an incredible source of wonder and beauty. I love capturing those unique moments, freezing them in time and giving them life so they may continue to exist over the years.
I also take inspiration from my time travelling the world in search of new experiences, cultures, people and adventures. My artwork is a reflection of these experiences, places I have been, seen, touched, tasted, smelt and felt. Each artwork comes from one of these adventures.
" A MEMORY IN TIME " Soft Pastel on Paper, Framed, 97 cm x 87 cm
" You May Have Fish Every Year " Soft Pastel on Paper, Framed, 49,5 cm x 36 cm
" Float " The sunset over the Mekong in Laos, Soft Pastel on Paper, Framed, 60.5 cm x 50.8 cm