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Create! Magazine Issue 51

June 09, 2025

Create! Magazine Issue 51 – The 2025 Annual Women’s Issue: A Celebration of Contemporary Art

Discover bold, inspiring work in Create! Magazine’s 2025 Annual Women’s Issue—a special edition dedicated to celebrating the talent, creativity, and vision of women artists from around the world.

Curated by Sara McCorriston (Paradigm Gallery), Danielle Krysa (The Jealous Curator), and Ginger Rudolph, this issue features over 30 artists working in painting, sculpture, photography, and mixed media. Their work explores themes like identity, transformation, storytelling, and imagination—offering a fresh look at what’s happening in contemporary art today. Selected from over 1300 submissions!

This issue is designed for art lovers, collectors, curators, and creatives who want to discover new artists and support independent publishing. Whether you’re looking for inspiration or simply love beautiful design and powerful visuals, Create! Magazine delivers.

Emma Bass is a renowned New Zealand artist celebrated for her contemporary still-life floral compositions that delve into themes of beauty, impermanence, and transformation. Primarily using photography, she reinterprets the classical still-life tradition through a modern lens, embedding rich symbolism and emotional depth into her floral arrangements. Her work has been exhibited in galleries internationally and is held in private collections worldwide, with many pieces also placed in hospitals and wellness centres, emphasising her belief in art’s power to heal and uplift.

Drawing on her background as a nurse, Bass creates art that fosters hope, comfort, and emotional support. Her floral compositions reflect the delicate balance between vitality and fragility, often incorporating elements of decay to highlight the transient nature of beauty and the passage of time. After transitioning from a successful career in commercial photography, Bass has developed a highly regarded prolific body of fine art. She continually seeks new creative horizons, engaging in dynamic collaborations with fashion designers, wine labels, and other industries, all while expanding her artistic vision. She is also exploring new ways to combine her photographic expertise with painting.

Bass’s large-scale floral compositions bring a calming and contemplative presence to spaces of healing and reflection, resonating with scientific studies that show flowers enhance wellbeing and reduce stress. Through her art, Bass invites viewers to reflect on the fleeting beauty of life, the transience of time, and the profound power of art to uplift the human spirit.

WHAT THEMES OR EMOTIONS ARE YOU EXPLORING IN YOUR CURRENT WORK? + WHAT DOES YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS LOOK LIKE?

In my current work, I’m exploring the intertwined themes of life and death, focusing on how beauty can be discovered even in moments of adversity. Through vibrant floral compositions, I aim to evoke a sense of resilience, hope, and the fleeting yet profound nature of existence.

WHAT DOES YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS LOOK LIKE?

My creative process begins with sourcing and carefully curating botanical elements—often blooms past their prime—to highlight imperfection and transience. I then compose these arrangements in my studio, photographing them in natural light to capture their emotional depth and subtle narratives. It's an intuitive, meditative process that balances control with the organic unpredictability of nature.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU OUTSIDE OF THE VISUAL ARTS?

Outside of the visual arts, I’m inspired by music, gardening, and the simple, grounding act of knitting socks. Expanding my painting practice and spending time with people I love also nourish my creativity, offering moments of connection, calm, and joy that often find their way into my work.

HOW DO YOU BALANCE PERSONAL EXPRESSION WITH THE BUSINESS SIDE OF YOUR CAREER?

Balancing personal expression with the business side of my career is always a challenge, as it requires switching between creative intuition and strategic thinking—two very different modes. I try to stay true to my artistic voice while also carving out time to manage the practical aspects, knowing both are essential to sustaining a creative life.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE VIEWERS FEEL OR TAKE AWAY FROM YOUR WORK?

I hope viewers feel uplifted by my work—experiencing a sense of positivity, hope, and joy. Like everlasting flowers, my images are intended to offer a moment of beauty and stillness that lingers, providing a gentle reprieve from the everyday demands of life. In that pause, I hope they find a renewed sense of wonder and calm.