Saskia Leek Biography

Leek’s playful questioning of the conventions of representation and notions of what constitutes “good” painting. Working in oils on a small scale on board, the artist is interested in producing works enhanced by a raw and modest quality. The shifting meanings that one encounters from Saskia Leek’s paintings can range from the clichéd to the fantastic and the eerie. Her sourcing of subject matter from amateur found art works and unfashionable outdated second-hand prints creates a sense of both kitsch sentimentality and nostalgic melancholy.

Saskia Leek’s recent solo exhibitions include VARIOUS NIGHTS IN HEAVY LIGHT, Darren Knight Gallery, Sydney, (2009), Thick Air Method, Jack Hanley Gallery, San Fransisco, USA (2008), and Tunnels, nets and holes, Darren Knight Gallery, Sydney, Australia (2007). Her work has been included in group exhibitions including Better Places, Perth Institute of Contemporary Art (2008); A spoonful weighs a ton, The Ian Potter Museum of Art, The University of Melbourne (2006-2007) and Matrix 213: Some Forgotten Place, UC Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, Berkeley, USA (2004). In 2005 Saskia Leek was the New Zealand Artist in Residence at the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery, New Plymouth.

Leek's work is included in the collections of Museum of New Zealand - Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington; Auckland City Art Gallery; Govett-Brewster Art Gallery, New Plymouth; and Dunedin Public Art Gallery, all New Zealand.