Mount Maunganui 3116
tel. +642102672704
Sat - 11am - 2pm & by appointment
Mailing list signup
Past shows
Mount Maunganui 3116
tel. +642102672704
Sat - 11am - 2pm & by appointment
Mailing list signup
Past shows
Angle, Direction
& Pressure
Jan 25 - Feb 22
Artists –
Daniel Kerr
Gavin Chai
Rose Pickernell
Grocer welcomes its newest exhibition ‘Angle, Direction & Pressure’ showing from January 25 to February 22. The group exhibition features works from Daniel Kerr, Gavin Chai, & Rose Pickernell. The show’s title is drawn from Daniel Kerr’s experiences and observations during repeated journeys between Auckland and Tūrangi, where traversing rivers, bridges, and changing seasons inspired him with the concept of 'angle, direction, and pressure.'
Photos by Untitled Studio
Daniel Kerr
Daniel Thipbodee Kerr was born in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. His creative journey began with a background in musical composition, guitar and audio engineering; disciplines that continue to influence his artistic practice. Kerr turned to painting in 2017 after a series of profound life events, including the loss his band and the passing of his best friend, he then began using visual art as a medium for solace and reflection.
Attributing a spiritual dimension to his upbringing and his ordination as a Buddhist monk, a tradition that he honoured to bless his mother’s Thai family, after the passing of his grandfather in Thailand. Kerr channels these experiences into his art, crafting works that translate deep emotions into visual narratives. The body of work featured in Angle, Direction & Pressure draws directly from Kerr’s experiences and observations during repeated journeys between Auckland and Tūrangi, where he engaged in fly fishing a sport that originates from his Scottish ancestry on his fathers side. He traversed rivers and bridges. These trips, spanning seasons, inspired the concept of "angle, direction, and pressure"—a framework Kerr used to explore themes of human connection to land, modern societal pressures, our relationship to our bodies and the natural journey of life.
The works in this series evolved organically, with sketches and watercolours serving as a bridge to the final oil paintings. Kerr reflects that the geometric lines and structured compositions found in these paintings resonate with architectural and modernist concepts, as well as with the physical and emotional tensions of contemporary existence. The pieces capture a balance between the natural and the constructed, alluding to landscapes shaped by human activity, hydro electric dams, fence lines as well as the deeper inequalities and challenges of modern society.
Daniel Kerr’s last acclaimed solo exhibition, Sathu, held at Sanderson Contemporary in Auckland in 2023, garnered significant attention for its emotive depth and technical prowess. With Angle, Direction & Pressure, Kerr presents a compelling new body of work that invites viewers to reflect on their own connections to land, society, and the pressures of modern life, further cementing his status as an exciting artist to watch. Kerrs works are held in private and public collections throughout the country.
Gavin Chai
Gavin Chai (b. 1997, Malaysia) is an Auckland Tāmaki-based artist whose practice blends cultural heritage with classical painting techniques, drawing influences from Dutch and Danish traditions of the 17th to 19th centuries. Chai's work, characterized by its psychological depth and technical precision, transforms everyday domestic environments into evocative narratives. Chai crafts scenes that invite the viewer to contemplate themes of anticipation, spirituality, and the beauty in the mundane.
In addition to his paintings, Chai has recently expanded his practice to include ceramics, originally developed to assist with his painting process. These expressive ceramic figures will be on display at Grocer Gallery's upcoming show, opening this weekend.
A graduate of Auckland Tāmaki University of Technology with a Bachelor of Visual Arts (2020), Chai has earned numerous accolades, including three awards at the Cleveland National Art Awards (2021), a historic first for the event. His works have been exhibited widely, with recent showcases including Interior (2022) and The Daylight Show (2024) at Foenander Galleries.
Chai's recent exhibitions at Page Galleries include Ode to Solitude (7–30 November 2024) and All the Stars in the Sky (14 December 2023–27 January 2024).
Rose Pickernell
Rose Pickernell has titled her body of work showing at Grocer Gallery ‘This is not a love letter, this is a hijacking’. It is a contemporary exploration of the trade industry, recontextualising found mechanical materials and subverting their function.
“The joys of taking an object stripping it of its function and rewarding it with another.
Furniture adorns the home, as jewellery does the body. Both intrinsically connected to personal identity and the comforts we design for ourselves. Born to secure great loads, banished to a life of living rooms. Sat on, only if you are lucky.”
Rose Pickernell is a multidisciplinary object maker based in rural Aotearoa. Rose routinely works with both fine goldsmithing and larger metalsmithing techniques, naturally encountering methods or tools that don’t translate perfectly. The joys of her practice lie in finding solutions. It is through this solution-driven process that rewarding relationships are fostered between Materials.
Rose graduated from the Otago Polytechnic (BVA 2021), specialising in contemporary jewellery. After completing her degree, she participated in the HANDSHAKE8 two-year contemporary jewellery mentorship programme (2023-2024). Recent exhibitions include ‘Proof Of Concept’ a collective contemporary jewellery show at the Depot Artspace (Tāmaki Makaurau, 2023). Followed by ‘Materialise’, exhibited at The Arts House Trust (Tāmaki Makaurau, 2024).
Please contact hello@grocer.gallery for a catalogue and images of all artwork.