Briana Jamieson - Garden Day: Preview Catalogue

Opening - Wednesday March 4th 5.30-6.30pm

Over the last year, Te Whanganui-a-Tara based painter Briana Jamieson has been growing flowers in a plot at her local community garden. This exhibition is inspired by days at this garden.

'Jamieson’s work is largely driven by emotion. Each series is planned around an “essence”, drawn from a mix of real and imagined experiences as well as an extensive collection of photographs and poems'. [1]

“I have noticed I am drawn to planting large areas of one type of flower in this garden, in the same way I am drawn to painting the same flower multiple times in a row. Golden shungiku flowering over winter and spring; tall stems of pearl matricaria in summer. This type of planting gives me a sense of awe and calm. When viewed from a distance, across the plots, the clustered together flowers glow in the sunlight.

I sit next to a patch of soft yellow flowers growing tall and shining in the sun. Tiny butterflies rest for moments between plants. I shelter from summer heat in the shade of a fig tree in the middle of the garden beds. The ocean is visible in the distance through trees lining the edge of the garden; and the sky is a soft warm blue.

I pick large stems of flowers to place in vases at home. I leave buckets of flowers under the trees for garden members to take. A couple, walking through the gardens as I tend to my plot, tell me of the gardens they’ve cared for around the world, while they happily brush their hands through the clusters of soft white flower heads the height of our waists. I dream of growing flowers for everyone; to pick and take home. In the meantime, I paint these flower gardens.” – Briana Jamieson

Jamieson is a painter based in Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Wellington. She graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, First Class Honours, from Massey University in 2015. This is her second solo exhibition with Sanderson. 

[1] Wagstaff, Camilla. (2024). Look Out For – Briana Jamieson, Art Collector Magazine, (Issue 107) Pg 114-115.