Angeline Harrington

I'm a designer and artist printmaker based in Wellington, New Zealand. Colour, form and composition have been lifelong interests, beginning with my childhood in New Plymouth.

Weekly visits to the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery were a wonderful introduction to art. Len Lye's kinetic works made art feel alive, while Don Driver, Gretchen Albrecht and Michael Smither opened my eyes to materials, colour and the New Zealand landscape. I was particularly drawn to Albrecht's instinctive use of colour and the way she made the shape of the canvas part of the work itself.

I was fortunate to take classes with Tom Kreisler, who encouraged my interest in colour theory and layering colour and form. He gave me a strong foundation and the confidence to trust my instincts.

I went on to complete a Bachelor of Design at the Wellington School of Architecture and Design, studying printmaking with Kate Coolahan, alongside tutors including Yurgen and Vivien Lee. It was a wonderful balance of fine art, hands-on making, contemporary design and emerging technology, and shaped the way I think about form, space and composition.

Printmaking has always appealed to me for its layering, repetition and unpredictability. Images are transferred from a prepared plate, block or screen onto paper or fabric. Monoprinting is especially freeing, producing a single, unique impression rather than an edition of identical prints. Degas made more than 300 monotypes, works in which critic Arsène Alexandre felt he was at his most free, alive and reckless. Matisse, too, embraced printmaking as a place to experiment and play. I feel much the same.

Fashion took me in another direction for a time. Part-time work in fashion retail during my degree led to teaching and eventually to my own clothing label, Angeline Harrington. The label debuted at New Zealand Fashion Week and attracted praise from editors at Harper's Bazaar and others.

Now I find myself coming full circle, returning to printmaking with everything I've learned along the way.

Last October I took part in a group exhibition at Webb's celebrating the life and work of Kate Coolahan. This November I'll be exhibiting there again, presenting a new body of work celebrating Te Whanganui-a-Tara and the landforms that surround us.