Emma’s bio

A corporate restructure in the early ’00s saw Emma Wright facing the prospect of having to move countries to maintain the high-flying career she enjoyed. It wasn’t a prospect she savoured and forced her to question how much she really wanted to keep her career. As is so often the case, when one takes the time to truly reflect, the answer wasn’t what she expected. The truth was that she didn’t know what her vocation was and, while she gave herself the time and space to figure that out, she painted.

A significant body of work emerged and Wright held her first exhibition in Wellington. It was greeted with acclaim and her future as “one of NZ’s favourite artists” (Robinson, 2008) was decided.

Wright has since moved to Waiheke Island and had two children with her partner. Along with her unexpected (but extremely welcome) second pregnancy came a new momentum and an energy which is palpable in the vibrant canvases she produced during that period and subsequently. Their palate is joyous in its almost lolly-like colours, the brushstrokes strong and certain, while their drips and bleeding feel calm and meditative.

In their abstraction, Wright says her works “represent all that life throws at us; messy, inconvenient and unpredictable. Yet if we welcome these ups and downs they reward us in delightful ways. We become clear about who we are and, despite our circumstances, we can appreciate the roller-coaster bits of our journey. Conversely, while resisting the rough patches may make a safe life, it will make a boring one as well.”

Wright’s studio on Waiheke Island off the coast of Auckland is a popular destination for art lovers and collectors. Her works have been exhibited internationally and in galleries throughout New Zealand, and are held in numerous private collections. She was a Finalist in the 2011 Walker and Hall Art Award.