Auckland-based multimedia artist Josh Davison’s unusual pairing of techniques presents a captivating take on traditional oil painting.
The largely self-taught artist found himself enthralled with art from a young age. In his last year of high school, Josh was undecided about the subjects he wanted to pursue and, on a whim, enrolled in painting. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision that led him to delve into exploring a methodical — and unusual — approach that has defined him as a pre-eminent contemporary New Zealand artist.
Josh is often drawn to the symmetry of flowers, his work bridging the divide between realism and abstraction. Using traditional oil painting techniques that hark back centuries, combined with the precision of a palette knife technique he developed himself, and utilising acrylic polymer modelling paste, his works are layered — rising from the canvas in three dimensions yet retaining the essence of two-dimensional paintings.
Much of Josh’s early work was focused on portraiture, an element he now often integrates with floral scenes. “What interests me as an artist is our relationship with nature,” he says.
Cordycep II, for example, is based on Cordyceps, a type of fungi known to colonise and consume its host. “It’s about the concept of nature eventually taking back what we have taken from it. For me, that’s the most optimistic view of how the future could unfold … healing in the context of climate concerns.”
Looking ahead, Josh speaks of further exploring and developing his techniques, and stepping out of his comfort zone as an artist. “While symmetry and realism appeal to me, I think it’s vital to go outside your ingrained paradigm, and, as part of my solo show at Turua Gallery in May 2025, I’ll be working on pieces that contradict my earlier style, with rough, layered, heavily textured work.”
We eagerly await the next chapter.
