This exhibition surveys nearly 20 years of local artist Barry Dabb’s paintings. Since the late 1990’s he has been documenting domestic gardens throughout the South Pacific, including locations in Rarotonga, Samoa, Niue and Vanuatu.

Each of these lush settings contain species that are often not indigenous to their island habitats. They reflect a subtle form of infiltration both of the flora and the culture that has occurred over many years.

Dabb is intrigued by the challenges of the shifts in colour and light that every new subject presents and whilst the works may appear to be realistic on the surface, the mark making imbues his creations with a sense of time and a human element.

This exhibition has been generously supported by the Bay of Plenty Garden & Arts Festival and the Friends of the Tauranga Art Gallery.