Oil paintings of Palmerston North
Dana James-Kennedy
Main Gallery | 7 August - 30 August 2026
I am a realist painter, working in large scale oil paintings that focus on urban landscapes and architectural scenes. My work centres on familiar places, streets, buildings and city spaces that form the backdrop of everyday life.
I want my art to encourage a moment of pause and a glimpse into my inner world. The scenes I choose to paint evoke a sense of place, familiarity and reflection. While grounded in realism, my paintings strive to capture not only physical structures but also the atmosphere and quiet presence within these spaces.
Alongside these paintings, I have begun exploring identity through works on objects using the New Zealand and Māori flags. This is a developing area of my practice where I am starting to move beyond the canvas and experiment with different materials and forms. These works consider ideas of place, belonging, and national identity, while sitting in contrast to the precision and control of my photorealistic paintings.
My work is a statement on the power of belonging and the visceral bond between place and the spirit of our people.
Ka Tukuhia te konia ki te torotoro a te wairua ki roto te kaitoi whakapuakitanga
“Let the eye explore the spiritual inner artist expression”
