The End of the World Tour - J Oxenius & R Hill

Two years in the planning and three months travelling - the End of the World Tour is just that - Jeanine Oxenius and Rose Hill bring their work home to Whangarei for their last 2011 Exhibition.

From Germany in July to London in August and San Diego in September these girls have been promoting New Zealand and their art around the world. With NZ wine sponsors on board the local show is being held in the brand new Yvonne Rust gallery at the Quarry (Selwyn Ave, Whangarei). It celebrates their return with only a few of the paintings that left these shores. New works, done especially for this Whangarei exhibition, include 'Haere Mai' by Hill and 'Safe as Houses' by Oxenius. Both artists appear to be extrapolating from the 'Natural' image of NZ, Oxenius with her nests and fragile eggs and Hill with 'The Last Man on Earth'. This appears to have an underlying message that nature is not to be taken for granted - that humans rely on the natural world for their very survival.

Oxenius' nests are works in a series, quirky and frequently involving a light hearted play on words. New Zealand's multiculturalism comes through in Hill's faces - perhaps representing the idea of living in harmony with each other and our beautiful islands.