Over 60 of Kiwi artist's original paintings shown for the first time

New Zealand artist Tony Ogle is showing his private art collection for the first time at Parnell Gallery in Auckland.

Over 60 of the original paintings are being shown for the first time to the public. The exhibition, Tony Ogle: A Retrospective, has gained nationwide interest.

The artist's work is on display after years of being kept in cupboards, under beds, and stacks in his studio.

Parnell Gallery co-director Sally Souness says it is exciting to display Ogle’s work with the exhibit spanning his entire career.

“I started the gallery in 1976 and started representing Tony in the mid-1980s. He thought it was time to display them properly, so we got them framed and decided to have an exhibition,” says Souness.

She says the response has been amazing, with people buying the original works online before they were even framed and displayed in the gallery.

“They were bought for people overseas, going off internationally. A lot going down to the South Island, all over New Zealand. A lot of people know Tony’s work because of the limited editions.”

Ogle’s work captures scenes from New Zealand’s nature, using acrylic paints on board which are turned into screen prints.

“People who know Tony’s work are keen to see these originals. A lot of people can identify subjects very easily because they are places that they know, or screen prints they might have seen or have at home.”

The exhibition is on display at the Parnell Gallery until the 31^st of March.