Subj : Portrait of an artist: Taranaki's award-winning painter up close
To   : All
From : News
Date : Thu Jun 13 2024 01:01 pm

By Carolyn Robinson, Seven Sharp Reporter
5:00am

A Taranaki artist has received national recognition for one of her paintings
and judged the best new portrait in New Zealand.


"It's super honouring, it's amazing - a reward for the many years of work
that is unrewarded," said Maryanne Shearman.


Shearman was presented with the Adam Portraiture Award last month, Aotearoa's
most prestigious portrait prize, for her work Tuhi-Ao, an oil painting on
canvas of climate champion Tuhi-Ao Bailey.


Shearman also received a $20,000 cash prize along with the award and
recognition.


The Oakura artist is known for her hyper-realistic landscape paintings, but
her rendition of Bailey has New Zealand's art world in awe.

"A portrait should have a message, I think, beyond just a face, and she
[Tuhi-Ao] carried that in her eyes. She's always struck me as someone who
absolutely lives her kaupapa so authentically.


"I wanted to capture that in her picture. The wero in her eyes and the tangi
for the whenua - to honour her life's work."


The Adam Portraiture Award is held biennially and is open to New Zealand
artists who have painted New Zealand people.


This year, 451 artists entered the Adam Portraiture Awards, with 37 finalists
chosen - many of the works are now on show at The National Portrait Gallery
in Wellington.


There was also a People's Choice award, which carried a $2500 prize.


Shearman was busy weeding the vege garden when she got the phone call to say
she'd won.


"I just burst into tears," she admitted. "It's super honouring; it's amazing."


Jeanine Parkinson, director of the Portrait Gallery, praised Shearman's
technique and winning portrait.


"Maryanne has expanded her lens out from the usual head and shoulders, crop
of a portrait, to bring in the environment that Tuhi-Ao's standing in, and
that's so important to her,


"You can see in the work - some highly-rendered details in the foreground,
the foliage, and Tuhi-Ao's face. When you go into the background, [you see]
the real looseness of the paintwork, which really impressed the judges."

Shearman described the high standard she sets herself when painting.


"I'm a perfectionist. When I do something that I love, I have to do it the
best I can. With my work, if you walk right up to it and look at it, it looks
as good right next to it as when you're standing back.


"Hyperrealism is about that. I try and get it perfect, but there are aspects
of some pieces that shouldn't be perfect. I'm not a photographer; the point
is not to perfectly copy a photo."


Incredibly, this is only the fourth portrait Shearman has painted. Another
was of her daughter, and she'd also painted one of herself as a child.


Speaking of her muse, Shearman said Tuhi-Ao Bailey hopes the winning artwork
will help carry the message of her kaupapa.


"She doesn't want that personal publicity for her; it's about the kaupapa.
And her words were, 'If it gets the message out, then awesome'."


Glossary
Kaupapa - purpose


Wero - challenge


Tangi - cry, mourning


Whenua - land

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