Jacqui Colley’s work is exhibited internationally and she is regularly involved with collaborations, residencies and special projects.

A strong connection to drawing underpins her painting practice; in 2018 she won the prestigious Parkin Drawing Prize. Judge, Kelcy Taratoa, said he couldn't take his eyes of the work - even when he attempted to ignore it, describing it as progressive, explorative and extending the boundaries of what drawing can be. 

In 2019, Colley undertook a residency through a cultural foundation in Southern Germany and she has follow up engagements offshore, including residencies in Strasbourg, France and in New Foundland, Canada to undertake once the borders open again.

Colley comments, ‘I consider myself an abstract expressionist. My practice is immersive; my paintings and drawings are compositions that evolve out of process, motivated by experiencing dynamics. Specifically, this means the intersection between the mechanised and the organic. Living in New Zealand we are closer to nature—small enough to see and feel changes more immediately. When I spend time in large cities I sense a detachment from nature and the relentless focus on consumerism.’

Born in Zambia, Colley was raised in Cape Town, South Africa where she studied graphic design at Cape Peninsula University of Technology before moving to New Zealand in1996. She lives in Eastbourne.

available works