Simon Olsen
Things, which you don’t know $2,600 Status: Available - upcoming exhibition
The light that is in you $2,600 Status: Available - upcoming exhibition
Things not seen $2,800 Status: Available - upcoming exhibition
To give you hope $2,800 Status: Available - upcoming exhibition
A lamp to my feet $3,800 framed Status: Available - upcoming exhibition
Within the veil $2,800 Status: Available - upcoming exhibition
Renewal $2,800 Status: Available - upcoming exhibition
Like a spring $2,800 Status: Available - upcoming exhibition
When I sit in darkness $2,600 Status: Available - upcoming exhibition
Surrender $2,800 framed Status: Available - upcoming exhibition
A flood arose $2,800 Status: Sold - upcoming exhibition
We are pleased to invite you and your guests to meet Simon at the opening of:
Surfacing: Things Not Seen
Simon Olsen
Thursday 3rd December 5-7pm
rsvp: ron@exhibitionsgallery.co.nz
Surfacing: Things Not Seen evokes both the physical formation of these paintings through layers of textured oil paint, and the emergence of meanings felt before they are fully understood. Moving between figuration and abstraction, light and shadow, the works explore moments of psychological and spiritual change, when acceptance can emerge, pain can soften, and grace and connection can be felt.
The series began with a portrait of a loved one who passed away. An unexpected reaction between linseed oil and paint formed puckered, light-catching folds resembling water. This accident revealed how paint could behave like emotion, holding grief, transition and beauty at once. Texture became not simply a technique, but a source of meaning.
From this discovery grew a series of faces emerging from water. Each figure carries a distinct emotional tension, while shifting light and shadow suggest truths that are gradually revealed or obscured. Together, the paintings create a slow, immersive rhythm, inviting viewers to move closer, follow their surfaces and recognise their own inner tides of change.
Artist statement
“My work explores how oil paint can embody psychological and spiritual experience. Using thick, marbled layers applied primarily with palette knives, I seek to create a physical encounter that is felt before it is interpreted. This reflects my own effort to live less in my head.
Texture becomes a kind of emotional language: ridges suggest resistance, smooth planes release, and fractured surfaces strain or hesitation. Colour establishes the emotional atmosphere, moving between intense and earthy tones. I work between figuration and abstraction because this uncertain space mirrors personal change. Figures provide recognition and grounding, while abstraction introduces ambiguity and movement.
All artwork available to purchase prior to the exhibition opening.
