"George's paintings spring from a belief in the power and cultural force of pattern - a faith that decorative forms carry as much cultural voltage, speak as powerfully, as any other kind of image”.¹

In his paintings, Darryn George (Ngāpuhi) invites layers of translations; visual, literal, linguistic, symbolic. He simultaneously embodies and abstracts text in his paintings, shifting words and letters into systems of colours and geometries. Optical illusions stem from his considered use of colours, blurred outlines, and subtle patterning, resulting in advancing and recessive planes. Some forms are imbued with a personal symbolism and others widely relatable embodying his Christian faith.

“Colour and pattern are themes featured consistently in George's practice, while a dynamic rapport between American abstraction, Maori heritage and Christian values, and influence of computer technology on art continues to evolve.”²

After completing a Bachelor of Fine Arts at Canterbury University, George went on to gain a Graduate Diploma in Teaching, and then a Master in Fine Art from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. He has worked as an educator, and exhibited regularly in solo and group exhibitions around New Zealand and Australia including Adam Art Gallery, Wellington, Wellington City Art Gallery and the Canterbury Museum. In 2013 George was invited to participate in Personal Structures, a collateral event to the 2013 Venice Biennale. In 2020 he was the 2nd Award winner in the 29th Annual Wallace Art Awards.

1. Justin Paton, Mana Magazine, 2008
2. Abby Cunnane, CS Arts,February 2008