Mount Mainstreet’s resident artist Shona Moller is one of the country’s most sought after talents, depicting the many facets of Kiwi life through her vibrant and textured pieces. Originally from Hamilton, we learn about her sold-out show in London, how her pieces are collected around the world, and making Mount Maunganui her home.
When did you first open your gallery and what led you to open on Mainstreet specifically?
After 20+ years of working from my Kapiti-based gallery studio, I followed our kids and moved to the Mount. I’ve been here three years now and the community has beautifully adopted me. It’s home.
Where did you grow up, and how did it lead you to become an artist?
I think, to a certain extent, artists are born. Obviously, skills can be honed, but it’s a way of looking at the world as much as applying paint to a canvas. I was an observant, thin-skinned child, absorbing the natural world around me, growing up in Tokoroa first, and Hamilton second. Art, I believe, was my first language.
Can you share some of the major highlights in your career so far?
My sell-out London show was definitely a highlight. But, I think working from my own studio space, and self-representing was, and continues to be, a highlight I am grateful for each day. The freedom this offers allows me to be explorative and intuitive in my approach. I’m not typecast, and I don’t have well-meaning gallery directors ‘suggesting’ ways forward in my art journey; my pathways are my own. This also provides an accessible space for art lovers and collectors to discover me, and to explore where our lives intersect through my work.
What types of pieces are you producing at the moment?
I have two very distinct genres in which I work. Representational, being landscapes, seascapes, still life, self portraits, etc. using lusciously applied layered paint. And then contemporary, within which I employ all mediums, including neon [lights], to discuss heritage (English/European and Maori) on a personal, as well as a national level, using icons like the Tube map of London switched out for NZ place names for example.
What’s your process like?
For me, the process of art creation is like writing a song; sometimes it flows, and other times I have to labour over it.
Beyond your art, what occupies your time, and what are your other passions?
Any spare time is generally spent with family. My parents have moved here from Whangamata as well. And my other creative passion is writing. I’m almost ready for the first editing process of my second novel.
What’s on the horizon for you and your work?
New works, variations on the themes previously mentioned, some sculpture is in the pipeline, and, all going well, a continuation of the way in which I am so fortunate to be able to work. This is in part due to the support I receive. I don’t take it for granted.
Share what it is you love about the Mount.
Everything! Sunrises, dappled sunlight through ancient Pohutukawas along the Mount base track, tui calls, whanau close by, cafe sharing tables, vibrant noisy eateries (and drinkeries), being part of a community where lots of cool stuff happens, the people… Mount and Tauranga people are fabulous people!
I thank the lovely Bay of Plenty people for welcoming me into their community so beautifully. It’s always a bit scary relocating after so long in another place, and I have felt a sense of belonging from day one.
Can you let us in on your favourite spots along Mount Mainstreet?
For a quick glass of wine (still wearing my crappy painting clothes), I go to Latitude or Astrolab, or anywhere on the sunny side of the street. For a dine and dash, anything Asian fusion – too many to list here, they’re all good. For an apéritif, Solera, and if it’s windy, Hide.
I also like the authentic casual Italian food at Osteria (ask for a booth if there’s more than four of you, and order the dessert pizza!), and Alpino is great for a girls lunch.
Shona Moller Art Gallery & Studio
104 Maunganui Road, Mount Maunganui
Hours:
Wednesday to Sunday 10am – 4pm
