BLUE
An exploration of energy, movement and emotional release. Through intense blue, circular gestures and expressive mark-making, Silk responds to the confusion and absurdities of contemporary life, transforming tension into something visceral, powerful and unexpectedly beautiful.
2023 - 24
SHELLS
The Shell Series was inspired by the forms, rich colours and intricate markings of pipi shells discovered on the local Omaha Beach in lockdown. The series was exhibited locally.
2021
IMMERSED IN COLOUR
An exploration of colour as a source of energy, emotion and escape. Created during lockdown, this series of five works — White, Green, Blue, Orange and Magenta — celebrates the transformative power of colour and light. Through vibrant surfaces and reflective gold leaf, Silk invites the viewer to experience the beauty, energy and quiet magic of being immersed in colour.
2020
LANDSCAPE STUDIES
This series of studio landscape studies was inspired by a road trip to the far north of New Zealand, particularly Ninety Mile Beach and Spirits Bay.
These studies became an opportunity to experiment with surface and gesture, translating the changing light and natural forms into a more personal, abstract interpretation of the landscape.
2019
ESENSUAL VIEWING
Presented at Happenings Gallery in Parnell, Auckland, from 10–24 May 2003, Esensual Viewing was a solo exhibition of paintings exploring the human form, sensuality and the expressive qualities of skin. Inspired by European sculpture and painting, the collection examined the relationships between shape, line and movement through glazes, impasto and layered paint. The exhibition extended beyond the visual, incorporating dance, music, food and atmosphere to create an immersive sensory experience.
2003
SKIN
An exploration of the extraordinary beauty found in something so familiar. Through isolated fragments of the human body, Silk transforms skin into abstract landscapes of colour, light and form, inviting the viewer to look beyond recognition and discover the mystery, sensuality and quiet complexity of its surface.
2017
THE FIGURE
A selection of standalone figurative works, each emerging from a particular moment, emotion or experience. Connected by an instinctive need to express, these paintings offer glimpses into the more personal and introspective aspects of Silk's practice.
ENERGY
A selection of standalone figurative works, each emerging from a particular moment, emotion or experience. Connected by an instinctive need to express, these paintings offer glimpses into the more personal and introspective aspects of Silk's practice.
TORSO
This body of work explores the sculptural qualities of the human torso through gold leaf, texture and form. Originally developed as a series of miniature paintings exhibited at Chiaroscuro Gallery, Auckland, the works attracted media attention, including television coverage, which led to significant interest and sales. The success of the miniatures led to a commission for a large-scale painting, featured here.
MARKS OF EXISTENCE
An exploration of the traces we leave behind. Inspired by the beauty of fossils and the stories held within their surfaces, Silk reflects on the relationship between art, time and existence. Like fossils preserved in the earth, the marks we make become imprints of a life once lived, holding something of our presence long after we are gone.