Vincent Ward: Palimpsest / Landscapes

Vincent Ward is regarded as one of New Zealand’s most significant and original creative voices. Internationally acclaimed for directing films such as Vigil (1984), The Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey (1988), Map of the Human Heart (1993), and the Academy Award-winning What Dreams May Come (1998), Ward is recognised for his visionary storytelling and richly atmospheric imagery.

Alongside his film practice, Ward has developed a significant body of visual art encompassing painting, photography, printmaking, and large-scale video installations. His work frequently explores themes of memory, transformation, landscape, and the human condition, often blurring the boundaries between physical and psychological worlds. Ward’s artworks have been exhibited extensively in Aotearoa and internationally, including immersive video installations: Breath at Govett-Brewster Art Gallery, New Plymouth (curated by Rhana Devenport), & Inhale at Gus Fisher Gallery, Auckland along with numerous photographic installations. In 2011 Vincent was the first New Zealand artist invited to exhibit at the Shanghai Biennale with his work Destinies Lost and Found. Vincent’s works are held in public and private collections throughout New Zealand and abroad.