Kyla Cresswell

Kyla’s practice always relates back to the land. Until recently, Kyla Cresswell was a Wellington based artist who spent the last 16 years living in Breaker Bay. The moods of the rugged coast, the shape of a headland against a calm sea and the colour of the water at the day’s end, were a source of inspiration for the ‘Lull’ series of works.

Growing up in Murihiku/Southland, there was a feeling of being lightly tethered to the wild land beneath. At the coast there are vast skies, far reaching horizon lines and expansive sea. In Northern Southland—where she has recently relocated—the landforms loom high, exotic bare branched trees populate the hills, and snow creates contrast. There is a tension between pasture and bush, tamed and wild.

A graduate of the Otago School of Art, Kyla has always been drawn to a pared down aesthetic and through a variety of printmaking techniques, she explores the micro and macro of the natural world. Kyla’s work over the past two decades has often reflected on challenges faced by the natural environment, focusing on nature’s tenacity and resilience. Kyla prints all her artworks by hand on an etching press. Kyla has exhibited in New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom, Japan and Canada and her work is held in private and public collections around the world.