About
EMMA BASS IS AN ESTABLISHED ARTIST WHOSE PRACTICE CENTRES ON FLOWERS, NATURE AND WELLBEING THROUGH BEAUTY.
Emma was born in Liberia, West Africa in 1967 and lived in England before arriving in New Zealand aged six, where she resides in the beautiful twin harbour city of Auckland.
At age ten, Emma's father, then a cardiologist, insisted that she paint flowers on the walls and windows of the coronary care unit where he worked. This lead to a lifelong interest in the power of nature and beauty to uplift and promote healing and wellbeing. To this end, Emma has donated works to hospitals, hospices, oncology units and many other places of wellbeing. Scientific studies support the fact that flowers can provide physiological and psychological advantages such as stress reduction
A former nurse, Emma lived in London in the early 1990s where she fell in love with photography at the Camera Club in Leicester Square; here she learnt darkroom techniques and took part in her first group exhibition.
On her return to New Zealand, she became one of the country’s foremost editorial photographers, working freelance for over 20 years and winning numerous awards.
VIEW EMMA'S PREVIOUS WORK HERE
In 1992, Emma began exhibiting her art photography and has established a strong following. In 2016, she was the only New Zealand artist to be invited to appear at the Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition in London, shortlisted as a finalist in 2019 and she exhibited there again in 2022.
In addition to her well-known Floral Portraits/Imperfect (2010–present) other collections include Embellish (2017) and A Little Garden (2018). As Emma continues to diversify and explore new territory, recent series' include Interrupted Eden (2019–present) and her newest series of work Florasssemblage (2021-present) interweaving photographic and painted mark-making.
In this video presentation to the Image Nation Photographic Conference in Auckland 2014, Emma talks about her early life and influences and how her career has developed:
One-person exhibitions:
2023 Florassemblage Ellerton Gallery, Auckland, NZ
2023 Spirit of Eden Boyd Dunlop Gallery, Napier, NZ
2022 Bloom Anna Sieber Gallery, Michigan, USA
2021 Love Boyd Dunlop Gallery, Napier, NZ
2020 The Impossible Garden Alberton House, Auckland, NZ
2019 A Little Garden Artis Gallery, Auckland, NZ
2018 Embellish Waiheke Art Gallery, Waiheke, NZ
2017 Embellish Smyth Gallery, Auckland, NZ
2014 New Work Black Asterisk Gallery, Auckland, NZ
2014 Imperfect II Black Asterisk Gallery, Auckland, NZ
2013 Imperfect Diversion Gallery, Picton, NZ
2012 Imperfect Red Gallery, Nelson, NZ
2012 Imperfect Black Asterisk Gallery, Auckland, NZ
2001 Bloom Chiaroscuro gallery, Auckland, NZ
Group Exhibitions:
2022 Summer Exhibition Royal Academy, London, UK
2021 Flower Fever Fållnäs Gard, Sorunda, Sweden
2021 Open Becker Minty, Sydney, Australia
2020 Semicolon Föenander Gallery, Auckland, NZ
2020 Flora & Fauna Föenander Gallery, Auckland, NZ
2020 Grounded Artsy/Daniel Raphael Gallery, London, UK
2019 Salon des Refusés Camden Image Gallery, London, UK
2019 On Paper Artis Gallery, Auckland, NZ
2019 Sea Conversations Waiheke Art Gallery, Waiheke, NZ
2019 Nature Morte NKB Gallery, Auckland, NZ
2018 A Garden on the Wall Jonathan Grant Gallery, Auckland, NZ
2018 Anthophile Daniel Raphael Gallery, London, UK
2018 Sizzle The Waiheke Art Gallery, Waiheke, NZ
2017 Not Just Flowers The Vivian Gallery, Matakana, NZ
2016 The Summer Exhibition Royal Academy, London, UK
2016 The Birthday Invitational The Artist’s Room, Dunedin, NZ
2016 The Flower Show The Vivian Gallery, Matakana, NZ
2015 Botanical works Tree Gallery, Whanganui, NZ
2015 A & P Show The Vivian Gallery, Matakana, NZ
2015 Bloom Opus Gallery, Whakatane Museum, NZ
2014 The Flower Show The Vivian Gallery, Matakana, NZ
2014 Light Side/Dark Side Millennium Gallery, Blenheim, NZ
2012 Fabulous Darling Black Asterisk, Auckland, NZ
2012 Opening Show The Vivian Gallery, Matakana, NZ
1993 Wallace Art Awards Auckland, NZ
1992 Metalmorphosis Morgan Le Fay Gallery, Auckland, NZ
1989 Group Show Camera Club, London, UK