Johanna Pegler’s Spirited Depictions of Nature in Auckland

At first glance, Johanna Pegler’s paintings could be plucked straight from a 19th-century nature journal. The Auckland-born artist paints with oil on board in small brushstrokes to render sublime scenes of New Zealand landscapes.

The exhibition, Angiosperm Whale (19 August–14 September 2023) at Anna Miles Gallery in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, features paintings of forests, shores, and grasslands augmented by the radiant spirit of nature.

In Planktonic (2023), Pegler’s intricate brushwork depicts flowering trees dappled in golden sunlight. Sections of shrubs, tree trunks, and detritus are illuminated by ripples of light that suggest movement as though they are undersea—flowers and leaves shimmer like shoals of fish.

Through Pegler’s framing, Planktonic positions viewers to step into the scene, the path ahead enticing us to explore the depths and mysteries of nature.

In Sea Senõrita (1999), Pegler approaches an entirely different terrain—a shore of water surrounded by lush green ferns and wild grass. Thin trees stretch over the body of water to create an unusual perspective, and without an obvious horizon, the lake and sky appear to melt into one infinite expanse.