Sometimes, landscapes are too layered to describe in words. For artist Andrea Bolima, a place is less a fixed location than a mood — a feeling. Born in the Philippines, raised in New Zealand and now based in Melbourne, Andrea’s paintings inhabit a liminal space between abstraction and landscape — a form of colour-mapping led by emotion, not geography.
In collaboration with Dulux, we recently invited Andrea to develop a painting in response to the landscapes of Aotearoa — a work that would echo the same regional resonance explored in the architectural projects within our upcoming book, Homes of this Decade.
Rather than producing a singular view, Andrea created a series: canvases that each conjure a specific place, two of which frame the opening and closing pages of the book. Using the Dulux Colours of New Zealand range, each painting hovers between clarity and suggestion, speaking to the nuanced ways we connect with place — often instinctive, and always layered. In each of these works, Andrea presents an immersive insight into her memories of our landscapes.
“As a human sponge for visual information, I’ve permanently absorbed these tonal details. For this series, I’ve squeezed out the colours of places that have always inspired me. I couldn’t describe them in words — but I can paint how they feel,” Andrea explains.
“We are captivated by Andrea’s stunning interpretation and masterful use of colour throughout her series. Her work beautifully reflects the essence of the Dulux Colours of New Zealand range. Whether it’s the icy blue tones of Dulux Fox Glacier, the sun-warmed orange of Dulux Matapōuri, or the lush emerald green of Dulux Waiheke, Andrea seamlessly weaves these hues into her painterly compositions, creating pieces that are both evocative and deeply connected to colour and place,” Dulux Colour Specialist Davina Harper says.
Wannabe Wānaka
A whimsical wash of Central Otago’s autumnal tones, Wannabe Wānaka captures the heightened drama of the region in a layered composition of warmth and clarity. Andrea paints not what she sees, but what she feels: a colour memory of a region where the land feels cinematic in scale.
The canvas holds a rich sequence of hues, from the golden warmth of Dulux Matapōuri to the dusky mauve of Dulux Kaiapoi, the soft sugary pink of Dulux Te Atatū, and the deep green of Dulux Waiheke. Together, they evoke a place that is both expansive and intimate.
Bisque Coral
There’s a warmth to this work that could almost be described as tropical. A memory of blurred coastlines and the quiet of native bush around the shoreline. Bisque Coral feels like summer held at arm’s length — a painting filled with radiant restraint.
The palette speaks gently: the creamy softness of Dulux Stewart Island, the delicate green of Dulux Mōtū River, the aquatic clarity of Dulux Lake Taupō, and the golden glow of Dulux Manaia. These tones move across the canvas like waves at low tide. Rather than announce a location, they suggest its lingering effect.
Cook Strait and Narrow
Movement defines this work. Tidal, wind-shaped, restless. Cook Strait and Narrow is in flux — a surface of rolling blue depths and sudden bursts of unexpected colour. It unfolds layered and alive.
Here, the ocean’s many moods are distilled through tonal gradients — the glacial wash of Dulux Fox Glacier, the vibrant boldness of Dulux Kellands Pond, and the freshness of Dulux One Tree Hill.
Across this foundation, Andrea floats gestures of ochre, blush, and green — moments that disrupt and animate the calm. Like the strait itself, the painting is a space between — charged with movement and changing light.
Andrea Bolima is represented in Auckland by Föenander Galleries.
