Find out more about Joni
Joni is a New Zealand–based artist whose paintings capture the beauty and emotional depth of the landscape.
Working across many mediums, an integral part of the creative process for Joni is exploring the nature of her materials.
Paintings, sculpture, fibre art and ceramics.
My painting practice is rooted in a deep attentiveness to the natural world, particularly the beaches, bush and landscapes of Taranaki, New Zealand. Drawing on a lifetime of observation, memory and lived experience, I gather inspiration from the details of stone, sand, leaves, lichen, shells, caves, rock pools and winding creeks. I am interested in how familiar places become meaningful over time and how our sense of home is shaped by memory, experience and repeated connection.
Through painting, abstraction and material experimentation, I explore the relationship between place, memory and emotion. My paintings sit between observation and feeling, using earthy tones, organic forms, texture, colour and shifting light to express not simply what a landscape looks like, but what it feels like to know a place. I invite the viewer to slow down, look closely and consider their own connections to home and belonging.
My approach to painting is intuitive and evolving. Rather than beginning with a fixed outcome, I allow observation, colour and the materials themselves to guide the development of each work. The process becomes a form of thinking and discovery, with ideas emerging through painting, reflection and experimentation. Each piece builds on the last, creating an ongoing dialogue between memory, place and the present moment.
My practice also explores the female figure, drawn to the abstraction of its shapes, forms and negative spaces, and the balance between strength, vulnerability and complexity. Across my work, I challenge the idea that artistic value can be measured by time or completion. Guided by the mantra “Time will tell,” I allow my paintings to evolve intuitively, embracing uncertainty and viewing the creative process as a journey rather than a destination.
Interview with Kina Gallery
