The C Art Trust Award 2021/2022 Christina Pataialii
The recipient of the 2021/2022 award is Christina Pataialii
“Wellington-based painter Christina Pataialii has experienced a rapid rise in the art world in recent years. Prior to completing her MFA at Whitecliffe College in 2018, she had already produced a large-scale solo exhibition at Auckland’s Te Tuhi art centre. She then became the recipient of the prestigious Gasworks Residency in London, and returned to New Zealand to receive the inaugural Rydal Art Prize at Tauranga Art Gallery. It should come as no surprise then that later this year her work will feature at two significant global art events; the New Museum Triennial, New York, and the Asia Pacific Triennial, Brisbane.
Part of the attraction to her work lies in Pataialii’s fresh and liberal engagement with fundamental issues of contemporary painting. She draws on both figuration and the landscape, abstraction and gestural painting. She constantly blends ‘high art’ and popular culture, and as a colourist continually evolves her palette in order to both draw on her personal biography and probe new and unexpected colour combinations. All of these distinctive traits build to a singular practice which continues to evolve with a rare maturity and confidence for an artist in the early stages of her career.”
– Curator for the 2021/2022 award, Stephen Cleland
![A square painting in muted tones and colours.](https://carttrust.nz/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Peaks-and-Valleys_-Christina_Pataialii_2021-e1634523656762.jpg)
![A square painting in muted tones and colours.](https://carttrust.nz/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Peaks-and-Valleys_-Christina_Pataialii_2021-e1634523656762.jpg)
Peaks and valleys, 2020
Acrylic, charcoal & house paint on drop sheet canvas
76 × 76 cm
![A square painting on a wall.](https://carttrust.nz/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Dust-ChristinaPataialii_2021.jpg)
![A square painting on a wall.](https://carttrust.nz/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Dust-ChristinaPataialii_2021.jpg)
![A square abstract painting hanging on a wall.](https://carttrust.nz/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Stuck-in-the-middle-ChristinaPataialii_2021.jpg)
![A square abstract painting hanging on a wall.](https://carttrust.nz/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Stuck-in-the-middle-ChristinaPataialii_2021.jpg)
Dust, 2021
Artist acrylic and house paint on drop sheet canvas
76 × 76 cm
Stuck in the middle, 2021
Artist acrylic and house paint on drop cloth canvas, oak frame
90 × 90 cm
![A view of Tauranga Art Gallery - staircase and large walls with painted installation.](https://carttrust.nz/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/dsf4120lrg-3000-scaled.jpg)
![A view of Tauranga Art Gallery - staircase and large walls with painted installation.](https://carttrust.nz/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/dsf4120lrg-3000-scaled.jpg)
Proximity & Distance, installation view, 2021
Tauranga Art Gallery
![A large painting in earth colours.](https://carttrust.nz/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Right-down-the-line-ChristinaPataialii_2020-e1634523600571.jpg)
![A large painting in earth colours.](https://carttrust.nz/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Right-down-the-line-ChristinaPataialii_2020-e1634523600571.jpg)
Right down the line, 2020
Artist acrylic and house paint on drop sheet canvas
182.5 × 170 cm
![Two square paintings on a pink wall.](https://carttrust.nz/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Home-by-dark-1-ChristinaPataialii.jpg)
![Two square paintings on a pink wall.](https://carttrust.nz/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Home-by-dark-1-ChristinaPataialii.jpg)
![Two square paintings hanging, offset, on a gallery wall.](https://carttrust.nz/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Home-by-dark-2-ChristinaPataialii.jpg)
![Two square paintings hanging, offset, on a gallery wall.](https://carttrust.nz/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Home-by-dark-2-ChristinaPataialii.jpg)
Home by Dark, install view, 2020
McLeavey Gallery
![Solid-Gold-install-view-2-ChristinaPataialii](https://carttrust.nz/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Solid-Gold-install-view-2-ChristinaPataialii.jpg)
![Solid-Gold-install-view-2-ChristinaPataialii](https://carttrust.nz/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Solid-Gold-install-view-2-ChristinaPataialii.jpg)
![Three square paintings on a wall.](https://carttrust.nz/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Solid-Gold-install-view-1-ChristinaPataialii-e1634517681981.jpg)
![Three square paintings on a wall.](https://carttrust.nz/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Solid-Gold-install-view-1-ChristinaPataialii-e1634517681981.jpg)
Solid Gold, install view, 2018
Te Tuhi
![A square painting. Pale greens, pinks, and browns.](https://carttrust.nz/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Mt-Albert-Night-ChristinaPataialii-e1634523631872.jpg)
![A square painting. Pale greens, pinks, and browns.](https://carttrust.nz/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Mt-Albert-Night-ChristinaPataialii-e1634523631872.jpg)
Mt Albert Night, 2020
Artist acrylic and house paint on drop-sheet canvas
120 × 120 cm
![Portrait of the artist.](https://carttrust.nz/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/700-ChristinaPataialii_Portrait_20203.jpg)
![Portrait of the artist.](https://carttrust.nz/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/700-ChristinaPataialii_Portrait_20203.jpg)
Christina Pataialii – Curriculum vitae
Born 1988, Auckland, New Zealand
Lives and works in Wellington, New Zealand
Education
2018 – MFA Whitecliffe College of Arts and Design
2015 – BFA Whitecliffe College of Arts and Design
Selected Exhibitions
2021
Proximity and Distance, Tauranga Art Gallery, Tauranga (solo)
Act Natural, McLeavey Gallery, Wellington (group)
2021 New Museum Triennial: Hard Water, Soft Stone, New Museum, NYC (upcoming)
2020
Home by Dark, McLeavey Gallery, Wellington (solo)
A Place Apart, City Gallery Wellington, Wellington (group)
This is a Library, Enjoy Contemporary Art Space, Wellington (group)
2019
Wouldn’t it be Nice, McLeavey Gallery, Wellington (solo)
Infinite Planes, Parlour Projects, Hawke’s Bay (group)
19 Gallery: Relocating Francis Hodgkins, Auckland Art Gallery, Auckland (group)
On the Lam, Tim Melville Gallery, Auckland (solo)
2018
Solid Gold, Te Tuhi, Auckland (solo)
Like a Boss, Franklin Arts Centre, Auckland (group)
Debt, Rm, Auckland (solo)
Thoughts and Feelings, mother?, Auckland (solo)
Projects, Auckland Art Fair, Auckland (group)
Never an Answer, The Vivian, Matakana (group)
Slow Jamz til Midnight: Remix, Whitecliffe College of Arts and Design, Auckland (solo)
2017
Slow Jams Till Midnight, Blue Oyster, Dunedin (solo)
The Tomorrow People, Adam Art Gallery, Wellington (group)
Covfefe, DEMO, Auckland (group)
INFLUX, Pātaka Art + Museum, Wellington (group)
Rematerialized, DEMO, Auckland (group)
2016
Positioning Pouring Painting, DEMO, Auckland (group)
Kenny Combs and Tribe, DEMO, Auckland (group)
INFLUX, St Paul Street St Gallery, Auckland (group)
EGWWTAF, DEMO, Auckland (group)
A Drawing Show (It’s pretty open), DEMO, Auckland (group)
The Tie That Binds, Whitespace, Auckland (group)
2015
Whitecliffe BFA Graduate Show, Whitecliffe College of Arts and Design, Auckland (group)
2014
Hold Your Breath, Whitespace, Auckland (group)
Awards
2019
Rydal Art Prize
2017
Iris Fisher Scholarship
Collections
James Wallace Arts Trust Collection
Private Collections throughout New Zealand and globally
Residencies
2019
Gasworks, London