Sylvia Grace Siddell, Lady Siddell (1941 – 26 August 2011) was a New Zealand painter, etcher, and screen-printer, based in Auckland.

Education

Siddell attended the

Avondale College Avondale College is a state coeducational secondary school located in the central Auckland, New Zealand, suburb of Avondale. With a roll of students from Years 9–13 (ages 12–18), it is the third largest secondary school in New Zealand. ...

(Art teacher: R.N.Field), Auckland Post Primary Teachers' College (1964–65), Auckland University Summer School (1967, tutored by

Colin McCahon Colin John McCahon (; 1August 191927May 1987) was a prominent New Zealand artist whose work over 45 years consisted of various styles, including landscape, figuration, abstraction, and the overlay of painted text. Along with Toss Woollaston and ...

), night classes at the Auckland Society of Arts (1970, tutored by

Louise Henderson Dame Louise Etiennette Sidonie Henderson (née Sauze, 21 April 1902 – 27 June 1994) was a French-New Zealand artist and painter. Life Louise Etiennette Sidonie Sauze was born on 21 April 1902 at Boulogne sur Seine, Paris, France ...

), and night classes at the

Auckland Technical Institute Auckland University of Technology (AUT) ( mi, Te Wānanga Aronui o Tāmaki Makau Rau) is a university in New Zealand, formed on 1 January 2000 when a former technical college (originally established in 1895) was granted university status. AUT ...

(1975–76).

Career

Drawing on the tradition of the European '' vanitas'', or allegorical still life, Siddell's work often depicts inanimate, familiar, and ordinary objects, giving them a sense of vibrancy and reflects on the joys, sorrows, struggles, and frustrations of daily existence. Examples of this include her

still life A still life (plural: still lifes) is a work of art depicting mostly wikt:inanimate, inanimate subject matter, typically commonplace objects which are either natural (food, flowers, dead animals, plants, rocks, shells, etc.) or artificiality, m ...

paintings, ''Fire and Water'' (2002) and ''Out of the Frying Pan'' (2007). Her exhibition ''Couches'', at th
Artis Gallery
in 2005, is another example of how she instilled life and character into ordinary domestic objects, animating them with a sense of personality.

Exhibitions

From 1975 onward Siddell exhibited regularly throughout New Zealand and her work is held in private and public collections, both in New Zealand and internationally. Notable exhibitions at the Artis Gallery include ''Fragments of Life'' (2000), ''A Rich Life'' (1998), and ''Couches'' (2005). In 1994 she took part in the exhibition ''Unruly Practices'' at

Auckland Art Gallery Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki is the principal public gallery in Auckland, New Zealand. It has the most extensive collection of national and international art in New Zealand and frequently hosts travelling international exhibitions. Set be ...

. The project was a series of solo projects by feminist artists living in Auckland, including work by Carole Shepherd,

Claudia Pond Eyley Claudia Pond Eyley (born 1946) is a New Zealand artist and filmmaker. Her works are held in the collection of the Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki and Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. Early life Claudia Pond Eyley was born in 1946 ...

Mary McIntyre Mary McIntyre may refer to: * Mary McIntyre (photographer), Northern Irish photographer * Mary McIntyre (New Zealand artist) (born 1928), New Zealand painter See also * Mary McIntire Pacheco, American novelist and playwright {{hndis, McInty ...

Christine Hellyar Christine Hellyar (born 1947) is a New Zealand artist who makes sculptures and installations. Education Hellyar was born in 1947 in New Plymouth. She completed a Diploma in Fine Arts (Hons) at the Elam School of Art in 1970. Work Working i ...

Honours and awards

In 1983 Siddell was award the

Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council The Arts Council of New Zealand Toi Aotearoa (Creative New Zealand) is the national arts development agency of the New Zealand government, investing in artists and arts organisations, offering capability building programmes and developing markets ...

Grant to study printmaking and develop etching, lithography and hand painted screen printing techniques. In the 2002 Queen's Birthday and Golden Jubilee Honours, Siddell was appointed an

Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order of merit in the New Zealand royal honours system. It was established by royal warrant on 30 May 1996 by Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand, "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have rend ...

, for services to painting.

Personal life

In 1960, she married fellow artist

Peter Siddell Sir Peter Graham Siddell (31 July 1935 – 24 October 2011) was a New Zealand artist. Biography Siddell was born in Auckland and educated at Mt Albert Grammar School and the Auckland College of Education. In 1960 he married artist Sylvia Si ...

, and had two daughters, Avril and Emily (also an artist).

Education

Career

Exhibitions

Honours and awards

Personal life

References

Further reading