As winter settles across much of the country, Sanderson’s latest exhibition offers a timely reminder of the restorative power of nature. Opening this week, Labour of Love presents a new body of work by Wanaka-based painter Katherine Throne, whose richly textured canvases draw directly from the flourishing garden that surrounds her Otago studio.
Bursting with colour, movement and painterly energy, the exhibition explores the relationship between cultivation and creation, with Throne finding equal inspiration in the hours spent tending her garden as she does in the time spent at her easel. The resulting works feel deeply personal, reflecting a practice shaped by patience, persistence and an enduring fascination with the natural world.
Central to the exhibition is the concept of biophilia, a theory that suggests humans possess an innate desire to connect with nature. For Throne, that connection is evident in every brushstroke. Whether capturing abundant still-life arrangements or intimate glimpses of blooms gathered from her picking garden, the artist translates the rhythms of the seasons into compositions that feel both immediate and immersive.
What distinguishes these works is their remarkable physicality. Thick passages of oil paint sit alongside flatter, more delicate marks, creating surfaces that are almost sculptural in quality. Colour is applied generously, texture becomes part of the subject itself, and each canvas retains a vivid sense of the artist’s hand, lending the collection a vitality that mirrors the unruly beauty of the garden from which it emerged.
Running from 24th June until 19th July, Labour of Love is a celebration of observation, effort and the quiet rewards that come from nurturing something over time. At a moment when much of the garden lies dormant, Throne’s paintings offer a vibrant reminder that growth continues, even beneath the surface.
Exhibition dates: 24th July – 19th July
