Hollywood actor Bruce Willis\u2019 wife<\/a> about his FTD diagnosis.<\/p>\n\u201cI remember thinking, \u2018That\u2019s Kevin.\u2019 Those words have never left me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Two days later, the bvFTD diagnosis was made.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were left shocked and heartbroken. Suddenly everything made sense,\u201d Jacqui said.<\/p>\n
She said Kevin is the centre of a big, loving family, and would always lend a hand, share a laugh, and bring warmth into the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo see dementia slowly change the man we love so dearly is heartbreaking.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jacqui said the earliest signs of bvFTD began about four years ago.<\/p>\n
She advised people not to take it lightly if they notice a \u201cmassive change in someone\u2019s personality or behaviour\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cBvFTD hides behind so many faces \u2013 depression, stress, burnout, even a midlife crisis.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Tauranga]()
Tauranga geriatric psychiatrist and artist Dr Bronwyn Copeland in her studio. Photo \/ John Borren.<\/p>\n
Copeland said her artwork reflects both the challenges of dementia and the enduring strength of human connection.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy art is shaped by the belief that creativity can bring joy, offer comfort, and transform suffering into moments of beauty and meaning. Through both medicine and art, I am drawn to the human stories that shape our lives.\u201d<\/p>\n
The work takes the form of an optical illusion, inviting viewers to engage from multiple angles. As perspective shifts, new layers of meaning emerge \u2013 mirroring the confusion, insight and evolving understanding experienced by those living with dementia and their loved ones.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen viewed from different angles, new meaning and clarity emerge, reflecting how perspective can bring moments of insight within the chaos of dementia,\u201d Copeland said.<\/p>\n
![\"Dr]()
Dr Bronwyn Copeland came up with idea to collaborate with those living with Alzheimer’s to create art. Photo \/ John Borren.<\/p>\n
Copeland said she balances her medical career with a deep commitment to art, guided by a belief that creativity can offer comfort and meaning.<\/p>\n
\u201cI believe art should serve a purpose by enriching society and positively influencing others. It should remain accessible and meaningful to all people, not limited to elite spaces. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis philosophy guides my work, my family life, and the patients I walk alongside. A photograph shows my artwork from three angles.\u201d<\/p>\n
Unconventional materials and fresh perspectives define this year\u2019s Adam Portraiture Award, with painted nails, woven tape measures and corrugated aluminium among the surfaces used in works selected for the 2026 finalist exhibition.<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s award introduced a renewed emphasis on portraits painted from life, with all entries required to be based on at least one live sitting \u2013 a move that international judge Jude Rae said had strengthened the immediacy and connection within the works.<\/p>\n
The finalist exhibition opened at the gallery\u2019s Wellington waterfront site yesterday, May 21, and would run to August 9 before touring nationally.<\/p>\n
Gallery director Brian Wood said the 2026 selection reflected both innovation and depth.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a real sense of momentum in this year\u2019s finalists. The move toward working from life has brought a deeper sense of connection with the sitter, more immediacy and presence to the portraits, while the range of materials and approaches shows just how expansive contemporary portraiture can be.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Copeland, the recognition highlights the powerful intersection between art and lived experience \u2013 and the stories that connect them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"She said that Kevin, 56, who married his childhood sweetheart, lives with behavioural variant fronto-temporal dementia. \u201cI have…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":442625,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[2246,9980,3471,1228,1628,2346,1558,112033,57436,226057,1887,799,1952,156,41550,2082,10136,111,139,69,226059,20842,133402,13235,10512,58423,226058,118412,102],"class_list":["post-442624","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-entertainment","tag-2246","tag-adam","tag-among","tag-art","tag-artist","tag-award","tag-been","tag-bronwyn","tag-copeland","tag-copelands","tag-countrys","tag-dementia","tag-dr","tag-entertainment","tag-finalist","tag-for","tag-named","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-painters","tag-portrait","tag-portraiture","tag-prestigious","tag-prize","tag-selected","tag-shortlisted","tag-taurangabased","tag-with"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/442624","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=442624"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/442624\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/442625"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=442624"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=442624"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=442624"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}