Ruth Vaega

Artist, printmaker, living on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island

A former art educator from Christchurch ( BFA,Canterbury SOFA, 1988), I have been seriously exhibiting woodcut prints, drawings and paintings since 2008.

My love of native birds, developed through living by the Orowaiti River near Westport, informs my work which frequently draws attention to their plight.

Humans continually reduce and restrict native bird's habitat, particularly flightless characters like Weka from access to bush land and rivers. In my ideal world, aggressive 'imports' like stoats, possums, magpies, cats, etc., would be eradicated, flightless birds would have specially protected walkways to cross our most dangerous roads and the air would again fill with the sound of our beautiful songbirds.

I have set up a studio at my home and work full time producing artworks which draw directly from my experiences as a "Coaster" over the last 20 years. My work is sold locally and to overseas buyers from The Reefton Gallery where I have been a working member for over 8 years