Sometimes she works from photographs, but the women she portrays are drawn from her mind, rather than being real people.
Throughout the exhibition, wāhine are intertwined with native birds, insects, shells, botanical forms and organic patterns.
The feminine presence within the works speaks to nurturing, intuition, softness and strength, mirroring the intelligence and balance found throughout nature itself.
Each piece invites pause; an opportunity to look closer and reconnect with the smaller details that so often hold the deepest sense of wonder.
Two works of photo-like quality that show Rosie Cruddas’ skill in illustration.
“The works are heavily inspired by the stillness of life in Mahia and the impact that slower living has had on my physical and mental wellbeing, creativity and connection to the world around me,” Cruddas said.
“In a time where life can feel loud, fast and overwhelming, this exhibition is an offering of stillness, a reminder that there is beauty here already if we allow ourselves the time to see it.
“The Quiet Work of Living asks the viewer to consider that perhaps heaven is not somewhere we arrive one day, but something we move through daily, often without realising.”
Rosie Cruddas’ Paper Nautilus in pencil and watercolour, part of a new exhibition at Matawhero Art Gallery.
Cruddas is a British-born artist who went to art school in Britain and got a degree in illustration. She has spent a lot of time travelling the world, gathering inspiration from her experiences and adventures, but now lives a quieter life with her children and partner in the seaside settlement of Mahia.
She has a studio there from which she sells directly to the public.
“I tend to sell my paintings as soon as I complete them, so I really had to knuckle down to produce enough work for this exhibition.”
Limited edition prints are also available for sale at the gallery.
Her last exhibition was a celebration of wāhine toa at Matawhero Art Gallery in 2024.
Wāhine in pencil and watercolour are part of Rosie Cruddas’ new exhibition.
A poem by Rosie Cruddas
I’ve been thinking about life,
about heaven and hell
About whether they’re places,
or just stories we tell.
I used to think heaven
was something you earn,
After a lifetime
of waiting your turn.
But maybe it’s simpler,
closer than that
In small quiet moments
we rush straight past.
Not in churches or walls,
or the words that we say,
But in subtle choices
we make every day.
In kindness given,
with nothing to gain,
In choosing love
when it’s easier pain.
I sit back and ponder,
a concept for you
Of something not distant,
but already in view.
What if heaven is here,
in our path, in the air,
But we walk right through it
unaware it is there?
If we’ve all been longing
to arrive there one day,
But it’s waiting for us
to stop looking away.