BIOGRAPHY

Sam Mathers grew up in Raglan and now lives in Auckland and works as a full time artist.

While living in London Sam worked for Sotheby’s moving fine art. This job influenced Sam a great deal, as he was constantly handling works by great artists. After returning to New Zealand Sam held his first solo exhibition in Raglan. He went on to hold a second, solo exhibition at Mobile Art Gallery in Auckland. Commissions followed for Saatchi & Saatchi and later for The Media Design School in Auckland. This led to another commissioned mural in San Diego in 2012 for New School of Architecture and Design (NSAD).

Sam is a hoarder of images, objects, consumer brands, everyday objects and creatures that inhabit his world. All these come together in a kind of symbiosis of connectedness. What draws us into his works is that we share much of his world. A kind of familiarity is felt. His influences come from the graphic nature of much of the commercial world together with the organic goodness of the rural scenes through which he travels to beaches where he surfs. His paintings are mostly two-dimensional in their laying out, but with closer inspecttion, many layers reveal themselves… building up of paint, scratching back, drawing, swathes of wet paint and intricate details, combine to beguiling effect.

Artists that have influenced him are Picasso, Cy Twombly, Warhol, Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning.

Since then Sam has exhibited in numerous group art shows throughout New Zealand and his art is now sought after by serious art collectors internationally.

EDUCATION

2005  BMA, Media Arts, Hamilton, NZ

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2019 Duncan & Ebbett Volvo showroom, Hamilton, NZ
2015 That’s Gold, Soul Gallery, Hamilton NZ
2015 A Few Stray Bottle Caps, The Third Eye – Tuatara Temple Of Taste, Wellington NZ
2014  All They Know How To Say Is Moooooo, Soul Gallery, Hamilton NZ
2014  Sam Mathers, David Lloyd Gallery, Hamilton NZ
2013  Rural & Sea Views, Soul Gallery, Hamilton NZ
2012  Been & Gone, Mobile Art Gallery, Auckland NZ
2011  Where Have You Been? Blacksand, Raglan NZ

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2017 The Other Art Fair, Sydney, Australia
2016 Colours Art Launch, Sapphire Room, Ponsonby, Auckland NZ
2016 Kings College, Auckland NZ
2016 VEFA, Vauxhall School, Auckland NZ
2015 MAC Creative Directions Art Fair, Mairangi Arts Centre, Auckland NZ
2015 ROPS Art Auction, Royal Oak, Auckland NZ
2015 Kohia Exhibition, Kohia Terrace School Exhibition, Auckland NZ
2014 Kohia Exhibition, Kohia Terrace School Exhibition, Auckland NZ
2014 Baradene Art Show, Baradene Auditorium, Auckland NZ
2014 ROPS Art Auction, Royal Oak, Auckland NZ
2014 VEFA, Vauxhall School, Auckland NZ
2013 Art Fusions, Carmel College, Auckland NZ
2013 ROPS Art Auction, Royal Oak, Auckland NZ
2013 NZ ART Show, ASB Bank Arena, Wellington NZ
2013 NZ ART Show Launch, Museum Art Hotel, Wellington NZ
2013  Baradene Art show, Baradene Auditorium, Auckland NZ
2012  200 x 200mm, Parnell Gallery, Auckland NZ
2012  Southwell Creative Ties, Southwell School, Hamilton NZ
2012 ROPS Art Auction, Royal Oak, Auckland NZ
2011 Chace Charity Art Auction, Mt Maunganui NZ
2011  Nautical, Draw Inc Gallery, Hamilton, NZ
2006  Southwell Invitational Exhibition, Hamilton, NZ
2005  Southwell Invitational Exhibition, Hamilton, NZ
2004  Southwell Invitational Exhibition, Hamilton, NZ

SELECTED COMMISSIONS

2016 MAGO MUNDI Benetton World Art, Kiwi Consciousness collection, Treviso, Italy
2012 Mural, New School of Architecture and Design (NSAD), San Diego CA
2011 Mural, Sattchi & Sattchi, Auckland NZ
2011 Mural, Media Design School, Auckland NZ

ACHIEVEMENTS

2019 Molly Morpeth Canaday Award Finalist
2002 Johnson Scholarship for Art, Hamilton, NZ