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Art has been a constant in my life since childhood. However, I never imagined that it would become my career. Instead, I got as far as pursuing a master degree in architecture and working in a field different from art for many years.

As a solo immigrant living overseas, I found myself drifting away from my passion for art. Although I longed to immerse myself in it once again, the challenges of adjusting to a new country and building a life on my own made it difficult. Despite the hardships, I remained hopeful that one day I would be able to reconnect with my artistic side.

In 2019, I gave myself an easel for my birthday and started painting again after an 18-year hiatus.

In the following year, 2020, the pandemic arrived and I moved my easel to my home office. Art started taking over my workspace and pushing my workstation to the corner. This marked a period of experimentation and seeking to hone my artistic voice. In 2022, I joined many exhibitions all over New Zealand and was a finalist for a few prizes, the main one being a finalist for the 10th anniversary edition of the Parkin Prize. It was a huge highlight in my career.

My finalist entry "The Divorce Dress," is an autobiographical and sincere piece incorporating parts of my own wedding dress, photos and other elements. The transformative process of turning the wedding dress into the divorce dress allowed me to create a work of art that celebrates growth and change. As an artist, I often find inspiration in my personal experiences, and "The Divorce Dress" is no exception.

Roberta Queiroga: The Divorce Dress , 2022 Parkin Prize finalist

Creating a deeply personal work of art can be challenging, but it also allows for a deeper connection between the artist and the viewer. Through this work, I hope to inspire others to find beauty in their own experiences and to use art as a tool for personal growth and transformation.

As we fast forward to the beginning of 2023, nearly four years have passed since I rediscovered my passion for art. I am thrilled to share that I have since transitioned into a full-time artist and have exciting exhibitions and events on the horizon. One particularly noteworthy opportunity is my involvement in an upcoming exhibition at the prestigious Te Taunga Gallery in the Auckland Museum. I am grateful for the journey that led me to this point and am excited for what the future holds.

I hope to motivate and encourage others to prioritise art in their lives, even amidst the hustle and bustle of a busy world. While it may seem difficult, I believe that carving out time for creativity can bring immense joy and fulfilment to one's life.

Roberta Queiroga

Chris Parkin and Roberta Queiroga: The Divorce Dress at Parkin Prize opening

 

Art and Transformation

 
 

2022 Parkin Drawing Prize Finalists

 

Rebecca Agnew - The Britney Spears Freedom Galaxy Endowment

Kathy Barber - Plume

Gareth Barlow - In Their Presence You Will Grow

Jordan Barnes - The Artist In Situ ( The War of Art ) MERIT

Denise Batchelor - Mark Making, Slowly MERIT SOLD

Janet Bathgate - Micrographica Anxietacea

Felicity Bergstrom - I Captured Your Being MERIT SOLD

Louie Bretana - Nature Waits Underneath The Concrete

Laura Buchanan - Names Will Never Hurt Us SOLD

Esther Bunning - Celebral Unravel

Esther Bunning / Catherine Daniels - Pixelated Memories

Lisa Call - The Journey

Lisa Call - Aragon MERIT SOLD

Hana Carpenter - Land Body

Greg Chaston - R.N. Barnes

Katherine Claypole - A Temporal Anomaly

Pass the Blue Collective - Restless

Zoe Cromwell - We Are a People of Hope SOLD

Brenna Crump - Boston Terrier

Akiko Diegel - Thinker

Akiko Diegel - David

Inge Kuindersma Doig - Faces in the Sand

Sam Dollimore - Do You Think Dreams Are Shared Space (Let’s Talk About it Tonight) MERIT

Wana Ellison - Vol. 2, pg. 65 SOLD

Leslie Falls - Ophelia and Arthur go to Town Part 2

Nicholas Fields - We Are Made of the Same Stuff SOLD

Stuart Forsyth - Self -portrait

Robyn Gibson - 14 Things SOLD

James Gilbert-Milne - 974:1223

Brett Harfield - 20/20

Raewyn Turner / Brian Harris - Sort

Emily Harris - Down In the Valley By the Stream

Rowan Heap - Tomboy

Vishmi Helaratne - Vishmi’s Web

Lesa Hepburn - Erosion

Veronica Herber - Joy Net MERIT

Veronica Herber - Burnish

Ina Johann - Mapping Another Life  - A State of Being in Disguise of a Cloud/Glitches 2022 MERIT

Locust Jones - Isolation Is Bad For Business

Katherine Joyce-Kellaway - (un)certainty

Motoko Kikkawa - Weathers

Erika Kruger - Freak Show

Helen Lenihan - Scorched Earth 3

Kate MacKenzie - Refugees

Friday Meulengracht-Madsen - MeatSack #2

Rosemary Mortimer - Fragile Worlds SOLD

Deborah Moss - This Is The Place

Kylie Murrle - Metaverse

Samantha Murton - I Don’t Know What The Doctor Said

Debbie Neill - Evanescence lV-ll

Debbie Neill - Evanescence Xl-l SOLD

Gill Newland - Loop de Doo-dle

Simon Nicholls - Rugosity MERIT

Rachel Hope Peary - Scrawl

Robyn Penn - Hold Time MERIT

Roberta Queiroga - The Divorce Dress

Helen Reynolds - Black 1.113 (Doubt and Certainty)

Peter Rive - Untitled (Studio Floor)

Francis Salole - The Ossuary (In Deep Water)

Lea-Anne Sheather - Blessings Bequeathed MERIT SOLD

Louann Sidon - A Kind of Pale Jewel

Margaret Silverwood - Sunflower

Anne-Marie Simon - Sombre SOLD

Madeleine Slavick - In Times Like These

Jo Stallard - There’s Always Something About Gaia

Sian Stephens - Liam Cutting His Hair After An All-nighter WINNER Not for Sale

Jane Tan - Journal Entry  - Air

Ashia Te Moananui - Schizophrenia is the Art of Seeing the Invisible

Emma Theyers - Untitled (Riverton Stone 3)

Cathy Tuato’o Ross - Charites

Briar Tucker - For Just a Moment on the Lips

Greta Umbers - Forecast

Folina Vili - Untitled (hair) diptych

Christopher- David White - Sound of the Crowd

Billy Wilson - Tearing Strips 10

Bonnie Wroe - Jane

 
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