Upper Clutha locals will feature in an upcoming portrait exhibition at Te Atamira which celebrates the creative talent of the Queenstown Lakes District and beyond. 

The Artist features 20 portraits by multidisciplinary artist Julia Holden. 

Eleven artists from varied fields - mostly local to Queenstown and Wānaka - stood as a living canvas for the creation of their portrait.

Members of Wānaka band Powder Chutes, which formed when the members were all students at Te Kura o Tititea Mount Aspiring College, feature in the exhibition.

Other portraits include ‘The Vintner’ featuring Duncan Forsyth of Mount Edward Wines, ‘The Jeweller’ featuring local jewellery designer Jessica Winchcombe alongside others including architects, a breadsmith, a sculptor, a composer and more. 

Well-known comedian Tom Sainsbury from Auckland also took part.  

Te Atamira director Ruth Heath (formerly executive director of the Southern Lakes Festival of Colour) said the body of work “shines a light on the people in our everyday lives who make meaningful contributions to our world, often in ways that go unrecognised or taken for granted”.

“We’re delighted to present such an engaging portrait exhibition at Te Atamira, one that breaks with tradition and challenges perceptions of what a portrait can be, and who we consider to be an artist,” she said.

Building on a body of eight works begun in Dunedin in 2024 and a self-portrait recently housed in the NZ Portrait Gallery as part of their exhibition Me: Artists Paint Themselves, the new works completing the collection to be exhibited are the result of Julia’s two-month residence at Te Atamira between August-October 2025.  

The exhibition opened on Friday (December 5) at the Manaaki Nui gallery space at Te Atamira (Remarkables Park, Frankton).

IMAGE: Supplied