FLEUR WICKES
Fleur Wickes, [b. 1970, New Zealand].
After a very successful twenty year career in photographic portraiture, and with published short stories and poetry under her belt, in 2008 Fleur began drawing the words she wrote: the shape of the drawn words acting as an emotional landscape, adding depth and meaning to the poetry.
In 2009, she created “This is where I live”, an award-winning exhibition held within her own home: a self-portrait in word, object and image. This critically and commercially successful exhibition sparked a decade long commitment to showing her emotional, very personal work within the domestic settings it was created for.
As well as showing in a wide-range of private homes throughout New Zealand for the last ten years, in 2013, she had a large solo show at Te Manawa, Museum of Art, History and Heritage in Palmerston North. Her work is held in private art collections throughout New Zealand, as well as in Australia, England, America and Canada.
2020
This life unfolding, private home, Newtown, Wellington, February [solo exhibition]
Sarjeant Gallery, Whanganui 2020 Pattillo Whanganui Arts Review, “A rose for you, Mum” [group show, February - ongoing, due to Covid]
“Our beautiful hours”, The Artist’s Room,Dunedin [group show - ongoing due to Covid]
2019
- #fwstealthdrop project // Because you’re so fcking awesome cards dropped guerilla-style throughout NZ, and also in Bali, Paris, Buenos Aires…[year-long project]
- The Tenderness Project, private home, Whanganui [solo show]
- Invitation only art show, King’s College, Auckland[group show]
- Point Chev Arthouse, private home, Point Chev, Auckland [solo show]
- Birkenhead Arthouse, private home, Birkenhead, Auckland [solo show]
- Queenstown Arthouse, private home, Queenstown [solo show]
- Tenderness, Space Gallery, Whanganui[solo show]
- This beautiful darkness, artist’s own home, Whanganui [solo show]
- Home becomes an art exhibition, Paul Brooks, Whanganui Midweek [press]
- Women’s Art Collective Auction, Te Manawa, Palmerston North [group show]
- Artist Open Studios, Whanganui [solo show]
- Meet the maker, Stuff, January 9 2019 [press]
2018
Arthouse, StudioHome, Christchurch, NZ [solo exhibition]
Wellington Arthouse, private home, Wellington [solo exhibition]
A private view, artist’s home, Whanganui [solo exhibition]
A private view, Natalie Cyra, Good Magazine, NZ [press]
Artist Open Studios, Whanganui [solo show at studio]
it’s beautiful here at the edge [making of original, short clip]
2017
- Fleur Wickes Monthly Papers, now held in National Library [two year-long project]
- The garage project, Fleur Wickes Studiolab, Aramoho, Whanganui [solo exhibition]
2016
- Fleur Wickes: It’s a kind of love song, Viva, October 2016 [press]
- It’s a kind of love song, Space Gallery, Whanganui, October [solo exhibition]
- Fleur Wickes Monthly Papers, now held in National Library [two year-long project]
2015
- Artwork at Parliament, Wellington, NZ [group show]
- Poster art sees Fleur blossom, Paul Brooks, NZ Herald, 18 Feb 2015 [press]
- 21 days, street-art poster project, Whanganui, Palmerston North, Oamaru, Dunedin, Auckland [two-month long project]
- La Fiesta, Space Gallery, Whanganui [group show]
- Artist revels in her new space, Anne-Marie McDonald, January 2019,NZ Herald [press]
2014
- Arts Access Aoetearoa, [group show]
- Portrait commissions all around New Zealand
2013
- Contexualising objects, Dorfman, Eric, September 14 2013, Director and CEO of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh, USA [review]
- Let it all come undone, Te Manawa Musuem of Art Science and Heritage, Palmerston North [solo exhibition]
2012
- The words Fleur wrote touch a chord, Laurel Stowell, Wanganui chronicle, 22 December 2012,p.Section B, 3 [press]
- Union, Space Gallery, August, Whanganui [solo exhibition]
- Poem for DRS, Designmade, September, Wellington [solo exhibition]
- Love Letter. 500 postcards distributed around streets of Wellington, as loveletter to that city. [project]
- My heart is a delicate thing, Kingsford Smith Street Studio,February, Wellington [solo exhibition]
- Portrait commissions all around New Zealand
2011
Finalist, Best of New Zealand Oi! You! Street Art Competition, Nelson, New Zealand [street art]
Let’s live until we are breathless, group show curated by Fleur Wickes,Kingsford Smith Street Studio, Wellington, held in National Library [curation]
Kingsford Smith Street Studio, gallery and exhibition space with monthly exhibitions curated by Fleur Wickes[curation]
- Portrait commissions all around New Zealand
2010
- Frida David Lives Here, Kingsford Smith Street Studio, Wellington [group show curated by Fleur Wickes]
- A moving portrait of Fleur Wickes, Wellington [short film by RDYSDTY]
- From pop art to pop up, Amery, Mark, Dominion post (Wellington, N.Z.). 16 September 2010. p.13 [review]
- Sven Olsen’s Brutal Canadian Love Saga, Wellington, [liner notes for album]
- Began Kingsford Smith Street Studio [gallery and exhibition space with monthly exhibitions curated by Fleur Wickes]
- Portrait commissions all around New Zealand
2009
- This is where I live: A self portrait, [Scoop], Artist’s home, Melrose, Wellington, NZ [press]
- Won Best Visual Art, Wellington Fringe Festival, This is where I live, 2009
- Won Most Original Concept Award, Wellington Fringe Festival, This is where I live, 2009
- Also finalist for: Best In Fringe, Best Production Design, Marketing Award,
- And the winners are… The Wellingtonista, March 1, 2009 [article]
- Portrait commissions all around New Zealand
2008-1989
- Self-employed portrait photographer from 1990 to 2014
- Downstage Upfront, Victoria University Press, 2004 [photographs Katie Wolfe, Tim Balme]
- Picture Perfect, New Zealand House and Garden, 2002 [press]
- Fleur Wickes, portrait artist, Mason, Harold. The photographer’s mail AUTHORS Mason, Harold REFERENCE Photographer's mail. vol.10, no.8. 2001. p.12
- Arts Foundation. Portraits of arts laureates, 2001. Michael Parekowhai, Kate de Goldie, etc
- Mutes and Earthquakes, Victoria University Press, 1997, Wellington [poetry included in anthology]
- White horse black dog, Autumn 1997, Sport, Victoria University Press [short story]
- Blood, Geoff Cochrane, Victoria University Press, 1997 [cover and author photograph]
- Lukas and Anna, Sport 16, Autumn 1996, Victoria University Press [short story]
- Ornamental Gorse, Chris Orsman, Victoria University Press, 1994 [cover and author photograph]
- Jane finds her music, Victoria University Press, Sport 11, November 1993 [poetry]
- Bill Manhire’s Creative Writing Course, 1993, Victoria University, Wellington, NZ [now International Institute of Modern Letters]
- Began Delicious Images, my first portrait business
- Scholarship in Professional Photography,1990, Wellington Polytechnic [now Massey University]
- Portfolio of the year, Diploma in Professional Photography, Wellington Polytechnic, 1989 [now Massey University]