Karl Maughan
Karl Maughan has been captivated by what has emerged as his signature subject – the garden – for decades.
b. 1964, New Zealand
Lives and works in Wellington
Karl Maughan has created a rich body of work over decades. He is particularly well known for his signature subject – the garden. Maughan has pursued this subject in an almost meditative fashion, creating and recreating crisp gardenscapes in clear sunshine in endless configurations. Lavishly detailed, his vibrantly colourful paintings are widely admired and highly sought after by collectors in New Zealand and abroad.
Maughan held his first solo exhibition at Brooker Galleries in 1987 after completing a Master of Fine Arts at Elam School of Fine Arts. In 1994, he moved to London. There, he had several studios around the East End, which he shared with artists who were later notable figures in the Young British Artists movement. Maughan returned to New Zealand in 2005 and currently lives and works in Wellington.
Some of Maughan’s many career highlights include featuring in The Saatchi Collection at Saatchi Gallery, London, in 1998; Stop Making Sense at City Gallery Wellington in 1995; the solo exhibition Walking in Light at Vertigo Gallery, London, in 2003; and the survey exhibition Karl Maughan: A Clear Day at Pataka Art Galley & Museum, Porirua in 2015. His work is held in private collections throughout New Zealand, Australia, Asia and the UK, and feature in prominent public collections including Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū, The Suter Art Gallery Te Aratoi o Whakatū, and Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.
Gow Langsford Gallery has represented Karl Maughan since 1987.
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East Coast
Karl Maughan 27 Nov - 24 Dec 2024 Auckland CityKarl Maughan, one of Aotearoa's most recognisable contemporary painters, is celebrated for his large-scale depictions of gardens, where dense foliage and brilliant flowers create immersive environments. East Coast is his...Read more -
Summer Paintings
Group Exhibition 17 Jan - 10 Feb 2024 Auckland CityGow Langsford is pleased to present Summer Paintings. This exhibition presents a selection of paintings from six painters – Dale Frank, Séraphine Pick, Judy Millar, Ruth Ige, Karl Maughan, and Allen Maddox. The works are eclectic in style, ranging from the Maughan’s meticulously detailed 1997 gardenscape Ashurst through to Millar’s mesmerising Rows for Gertrude Stein, a monochromatic gestural painting from 2002. Each of the paintings demonstrate the skill, flair, and distinctive vision of the artist behind them.Read more -
Rhododendrons
Karl Maughan 6 Dec 2023 - 13 Jan 2024 Auckland CityNew exhibition of garden landscape paintings by Karl Maughan at Gow Langsford Gallery.Read more -
Karl Maughan
7 - 23 Dec 2022 Auckland CityThere is a permanence to Karl Maughan’s gardens which is bewitching. His evergreen trees, ever pink flowers, ever blue skies. They are like peering through a window into a paradisiacal world where nothing ever withers or decays. This new series from the Wellington-based artist takes us ever-deeper into his painted illusions. These gardens don’t stop at the swollen bushes and plump florals but descend farther into the forest, where the shadows are more dramatic under the leafy canopies. We are drawn deeper within Maughan’s horticultural landscape, towards the knowing peaks beyond.Read more -
Karl Maughan
25 Nov - 19 Dec 2020Karl Maughan’s new exhibition at our Kitchener St Gallery presents a suite of works that are accented with sunflowers, harking back to the flora featured in the artist’s early period.Read more -
Athenree
Karl Maughan 30 Oct - 23 Nov 2019Karl Maughan has dedicated his career to creating his characteristic horticultural paintings. Over an extraordinary career spanning more than 30 years, Maughan has found endless inspiration in gardens, which for him bridge dreams and nature. Gow Langsford Gallery presents a new exhibition by the widely recognised and highly sought after artist, entitled Athenree, a body of work which celebrates the Spring landscape in all its floral glory.Read more -
Landscapes
Dick Frizzell and Karl Maughan 3 - 27 Oct 2018Considered two of New Zealand’s most prominent living artists, close friends Karl Maughan and Dick Frizzell have joined forces once again. Their sold out 1998 joint exhibition aptly titled Landscapes will be revisited 20 years later as both artists draw on the New Zealand landscape as a mutual point of inspiration. It is what Frizzell calls “The reunion tour …getting the band back together”.Read more -
Zig-Zag
Karl Maughan 15 Nov - 9 Dec 2017 Lorne Street [2008 - 2021]Karl Maughan grew up in Palmerston North, before attending Elam School of Fine Arts in 1983. During his years at Art School, Maughan began working with garden scenes as a way of dealing with light, shade and composition. The subject matter suited his explorations with paint, and gardens have been the subject of Maughan’s work for over 30 years. He writes, “I’m interested in all the cultural associations we all have with the idea of the garden. They are a central part of the idea of civilisation, the first instance of humans asserting their control over nature.”Read more -
Halcombe
Karl Maughan 9 Dec 2015 - 23 Jan 2016 Auckland CityIn his latest exhibition, Halcombe, Karl Maughan continues with the garden theme for which he is now famous. He returns to his familiar rhododendron subjects in these vibrant compositions. Alongside the new works, Gow Langsford Gallery will also show Salamanca Road, an epic nine metre work commissioned by the Dowse Museum Wellington for his solo exhibition there in 2014.Read more -
The Wrong Gallery
Group Exhibition 28 Jan - 28 Feb 2015 Auckland CityThe Wrong Gallery was conceptualized by Maurizio Cattelan, Ali Subotnick and Massimiliano Gioni in 2005. It is a 1:6 scale reproduction of New York’s smallest exhibition space of the same name, which they founded together in 2002. Subsequent versions have been shown all over the world including at Tate Modern (2005). Our rendition of The Wrong Gallery will be installed in our Kitchener St Gallery and will, fittingly, be filled with miniature artworks by gallery artists.Read more -
Long View
Karl Maughan 6 - 30 Nov 2013 Auckland City, Lorne Street [2008 - 2021]The much anticipated new exhibition by Karl Maughan, Long View, opens tomorrow evening at both our Lorne and Kitchener St galleries. The hyper-real compositions of Karl Maughan's oil paintings transport...Read more -
In Through The Outdoor
Karl Maughan 3 - 27 Oct 2012 Auckland CityGow Langsford Gallery hosted Karl Maughan's first solo exhibition in 1989. Even as a young artist Maughan was captivated by what would later emerge as his signature subject - the...Read more -
Idlewild
Karl Maughan 18 May - 4 Jun 2011 Lorne Street [2008 - 2021]Ever faithful to his garden subject Karl Maughan is one of New Zealand’s most recognisable artists. With a career now spanning more than three decades, Maughan’s practice continues to gain...Read more -
Every Day is like Sunday
Karl Maughan 23 Jun - 17 Jul 2009 Lorne Street [2008 - 2021]Gow Langsford Gallery presents Every Day is like Sunday, a solo show by Karl Maughan featuring his iconic garden scenes.Read more
Karl Maughan’s perfectly executed gardens are iconic in contemporary New Zealand art. In his new exhibition Every Day is like Sunday the famous rhododendrons are taking a secondary space to the lush foliage and coloured petals of a variety of flower species and for the first time, Maughan has incorporated coastal gardens into his compositions.
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Karl Maughan on The Good Oil Podcast
June 1, 2023Karl Maughan features on the latest episode of The Good Oil Podcast available to listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. The Good Oil is dedicated to long form conversations with New Zealand artists about their lives and practices.Read more -
Karl Maughan Interview with Denizen
September 6, 2021Karl Maughan was interviewed by Damien Woolnough from Denizen and muses on his practice and shares some insights into other aspects of his life. 'Painting...Read more -
Karl Maughan's Lifelong Interest in Plants
July 27, 2021It is no surprise that landscape artist Karl Maughan is also a keen gardener; Emily Simpson from Stuff interviewed Karl about his gardening background and...Read more -
Karl Maughan Monograph in 2021 PANZ Book Design Awards
July 14, 2021Congratulations to gallery staff Hannah Valentine and Gabriella Stead who have been nominated for the 2021 PANZ Book Design Awards for Best Illustrated Book for...Read more -
Karl Maughan Monograph Reviewed on The Spinoff
May 12, 2021Susan Wardell has reviewed our recently published monograph on Karl Maughan for The Spinoff . Read the full article here .Read more -
Karl Maughan and the eternal possibilities of the garden
December 15, 2020'In his Mt Victoria studio, Karl Maughan is slowly building a garden on a canvas. It’s the early stages of what will eventually be a...Read more -
Karl Maughan Interviewed for WOMAN Magazine
September 15, 2020Sharon Stephenson interviewed Karl Maughan for WOMAN magazine. 'You might not know his face but, even if you’ve been calling the underside of a rock...Read more -
Artists Collaborate with Top Musicians to Raise Money for the Salvation Army
April 10, 2019Seven of our artists, Reuben Paterson , Darryn George , Dick Frizzell , Michael Hight , Max Gimblett , John Walsh and Karl Maughan have...Read more -
TJ McNamara Reviews Dick Frizzell and Karl Maughan's Landscapes
October 17, 2018Art writer TJ McNamara has posted a review of Dick Frizzell and Karl Maughan's joint exhibition Landscapes on his blog Engaging with Art. Read the...Read more -
Karl Maughan on Radio New Zealand
February 20, 2018Karl Maughan has been interviewed by Charlotte Wilson for the Radio New Zealand show Art, Life, Music. For the full interview and behind the scenes...Read more
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Auckland Art Fair 2021 | Booth A7
24 - 28 Feb 2021For the 2021 Auckland Art Fair, Gow Langsford Gallery will be showcasing new works by Graham Fletcher, Grace Wright, Paul Dibble, Gregor Kregar, André Hemer and Dale Frank, alongside preeminent New Zealand artists Colin McCahon and Tony Fomison. Our major highlight will be a sculpture by British Modernist Henry Moore alongside a key work by Frances Hodgkins.Read more -
Auckland Art Fair Virtual Fair 2020
29 Apr - 6 Jun 2020Gow Langsford Gallery is pleased to be taking part in the Auckland Art Fair Virtual Fair from 30 April - 17 May. Artists included are Frances Hodgkins, Tony Cragg, Judy Millar, Louise Henderson, Dale Frank, John Pule, Paul Dibble, Karl Maughan, Reuben Paterson, Simon Ingram, Virginia Leonard, Max Gimblett and Colin McCahon.Read more -
Auckland Art Fair 2019 | Booth B8
1 - 5 May 2019For the 2019 Auckland Art Fair, Gow Langsford Gallery is presenting new works by Paul Dibble, Karl Maughan and Max Gimblett at Booth B8.Read more -
Auckland Art Fair 2011 | Booth 13
4 - 7 Aug 2011This year Gow Langsford Gallery took a different approach to the art fair model and hosted four different exhibitions on consecutive days. Visitors needed to visit the stand each day to get the full impact of our art fair project. On show were new works by gallery artists Karl Maughan (Thursday 4th August), Reuben Paterson (Friday 5th August), John Pule (Saturday 6th August) and Paul Dibble (Sunday 7th August).Read more