Denise Batchelor is a visual artist based in Hokianga, in the far north of New Zealand. Working primarily in digital media, both still and moving image, Batchelor’s work reflects personal encounters within nature; quiet moments of reflection within which deeper connections can be experienced. These connections range from subtle nuances to the more distinct, evoking feelings of inclusion or alternately, a sense of separation.

“Contemporary Western culture can create a feeling of separateness in which we often experience nature as somehow outside of ourselves and disconnected from. My work attempts to bridge these seemingly separate worlds, creating a more intimate space in which to connect and engage”.

Capturing moments that simultaneously embrace the familiar, yet reflect the overlooked or unnoticed, the work also explores the relationship between time and place. Responding to site-specific environments, Batchelor creates works of contemplation, offering the viewer access to an interstitial space between movement and stillness.

A recipient of residencies and art awards, Batchelor has exhibited widely in galleries, art centres and festivals in New Zealand and internationally. Her work is held in public and private collections. Batchelor received her Master of Fine Arts from Whitecliffe College of Arts and Design in 2011.

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