Rhea Maheshwari (born 1993

Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

) is an

Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...

and

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

artist notable for her colour palette of blues and purples pastels coloured dreamscapes, she primarily creates large-scale ornamental paintings that resemble tapestries. Maheshwari also draws inspiration from 17th- and 18th-century Mughal miniatures, especially their decorative and ornamental elements.

Biography

Maheswari arrived in New Zealand as a child with her family from Mumbai. The exhibition ''Kiss Taraf'' (2023) at The Art Paper headquarters, represents her journey in New Zealand as she discovers authentic ways to express herself. Maheswari highlights the challenges faced by Asian artists in New Zealand who encounter resistance from both their families and the art world. She said. "There are so many things working against you, including family members who misunderstand our artistic pursuits." and "You have to grapple with the feeling of being an outsider and make it a part of your life journey of creating art." Maheshwari has exhibited extensively throughout New Zealand, including

Corban Estate Arts Centre Corban Estate Arts Centre is an arts precinct in West Auckland, New Zealand. Established in 2002 at the site of the Mt Lebanon Vineyard and Winery, the arts centre provides creative production, theatre and gallery space to New Zealand artists. ...

, Depot Artspace,

Bergman Gallery Bergman Gallery is an international commercial art gallery with an original gallery in Rarotonga, Cook Islands, and a second gallery in Auckland, New Zealand. The gallery was first established in 2016 by Ben Bergman in Rarotonga, Cook Islands. Berg ...

, Broker Gallery,

Pah Homestead The Pah Homestead is a historic home located in the suburb of Hillsborough in Auckland, New Zealand. It is owned by the Auckland Council, and is currently used as an art gallery, housing the James Wallace Art Trust's collection of New Zealand ar ...

, Mairangi Arts Centre, and

The Physics Room The Physics Room is a non-commercial contemporary art gallery in Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South I ...

Selected solo exhibitions

* 2023 – ''Ethereal Cosmography'', Depot Artspace, Auckland New Zealand * 2020 – ''Aerial Architecture'', Queenstown Contemporary, Queenstown, New Zealand

Selected group exhibitions

* 2024 – ''Aotearoa Art Fair'', Bergman Gallery, Viaduct Events Centre, Auckland, New Zealand * 2024 – ''Yahaan'',

, Auckland, New Zealand * 2023 – ''Five Painters,''

, Auckland, New Zealand * 2023 – ''A Place to Call Home - Contemporary New Zealand Asian Art,''

, Auckland, New Zealand * 2023 – ''Kiss Taraf'', The Art Paper, Auckland, New Zealand * 2022 – ''At First Glance'', Mairangi Arts Centre, Mairangi, New Zealand * 2021 – ''Apple, Banana, Star (Emoji)'', Broker Gallery, Queenstown, New Zealand * 2020 – ''Conditioner'',

, Auckland, New Zealand * 2019 ''– Two Oceans at Once'',

Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River / ...

, New Zealand{{Cite web , title=Ngutu Kākā Gallery - AUT , url=https://stpaulst.aut.ac.nz/exhibitions/past-exhibitions/2019/two-oceans-at-once , access-date=2023-12-14 , website=stpaulst.aut.ac.nz

References

1993 births Living people 21st-century New Zealand painters Artists from Auckland Indian artists 21st-century Indian painters 21st-century New Zealand women artists 21st-century Indian women artists