Works in Show
To be Updated After the Opening Ceremony
Artist Biography
Mark is a Kiwi-Fijian artist born and raised in Auckland, New Zealand. Mark studied at Whitecliffe College of Arts and Design from 2013 - 2015, he then studied online through American based school Watts Atelier of the Arts for another 3 years.Mark is part of the growing Life Drawing and Urban Sketching communities in Auckland and has been taking part in Life Drawing since 2014. In 2019 Mark was selected as a finalist in the 2020 Adam Portraiture Awards and 2019 Kumeu Art Awards. His portrait 'Lion Man' was selected to go on the Adam Portraiture Awards national tour. In 2022, he made his solo exhibition debut at Studio One Toi Tu titled "Auckland Under Construction". Where he also began teaching portrait classes.Some of Marks artistic influences are Steve Huston, Jeffery Watts, Will Yu, Zhaoming Wu, Richard Schmid, Edward Hopper and Van Gough.
Artist Statement
Mark’s art is inspired by observing the ordinary everyday people and scenes of his environment. Hoping to capture their stories and characters, finding the beauty of every day life. Mark's style is a playful blend of realism and abstraction. His focus currently has been on the urban environment of Auckland City life. As well as being a practicing artist, Mark has a passion for teaching art and helping others grow with their skills. He teaches Drawing and Storytelling at AUT and has been teaching portrait and figure drawing at Studio One since 2022.
Mark Whippy
Artist
