So they say

The Heart’s Road

Fleur Wickes is a Whanganui-based writer and artist, weaving together powerful, emotional words with her arresting – almost typographical – art style. For Fleur, art, emotion and balance are all interconnected, acting as both a release for her own feelings and as a way to connect with others around the world.

Words: Felicity Connell

Photographs: Michelle Hepburn

Emotionally fuelled

It’s lovely to be earning a good living and not having to compromise my work. But the art of it is the most important thing. I believe that I have something original to say. The art comes first.

Words: Lucy Corry 

Photographs: Tracey Grant

Masterclass

Fleur Wickes has always been a great believer in writing down what you want. So, when she found herself outgrowing a tiny 1950s caravan that she used as a painting studio in her backyard, she wrote a list about her dream workspace and left it on her bedside table.

“I wanted five things,” tells Fleur. “Gentle light, room to breathe and an entrance that was unremarkable, leading to an upstairs area with good bones.”

Words by: Fleur Guthrie

Photographs by: Gina Fabish

A private view

This exhibition is so much more than my “word” paintings… This collection of work was inspired by my life, as my work always is.  My work is very personal in nature, and in some ways this exhibition is a self-portrait in 3D. There’s words I wrote about a beautiful afternoon with a lover, etched into a board painted with a delicate layer of white and it’s just very gentle.  Another large work was inspired by my son, who has been the centre of my world since he was born but as a teenager is now starting on his own road.  With this show, I talk about grief and loss but also how, in counterpoint, life is full of beautiful moments too.  

Artist of the month

Artist Fleur Wickes’ emotive works are deeply personal but their honesty and humanity is what people connect with.

Words by Siana Clifford