Krystie Wade

Through painting, Krystie Wade reimagines our engagement with different landscapes, exploring and pulling apart the topographical, ecological, and emotional aspects of nature through multiple perspectives and dynamic colour compositions.


Krystie's dynamic and colourful abstract landscape paintings have gained significant attention because of the distinctive style. Krystie's paintings investigate all aspects of landscape, far removed from traditional single perspective compositions: she states that she is attempting to 'push all aspects of landscapes: colour, composition, etc.' The depth achieved in these works is quite phenomenal; stylistically reminiscent of Claude Monet's Water Lilies series in which the artist represents both the depth of the body of water on which the flowers sit, as well as the reflection of the sky in the water, technically creating an infinite amount of space as a result. Past the lush colours, the fantastical composition and elevated movement, Krystie's paintings hold great philosophical, ecological, and artistic debates while enjoying "their exuberance, excellent composition and sheer fun." (Warwick Brown 2009)

Wade has exhibited in a number of exhibitions in New Zealand and abroad, including two exhibitions in Tokyo in 2009. She has also been a finalist in a number of awards, including the James Wallace Art Award, Norsewear Art Award, Molly Morpeth Art Award, all in New Zealand, and the Agendo Art Awards in Melbourne, Australia. Wade has also been included in books such as Its All About the Image Dick Frizzell and Seen this Century Warwick Brown. Wade has also featured in Justin Paton's How to look at a painting and was an International Artist in Residence at the Can Serrat Art Centre in Spain.