ABOUT BERNIE
Bernie has been exploring his creativity since childhood.
His wild imagination as a child and into adult life was advantageous in forging his art career often described as very left-of-centre and avant-garde. His practice is prolific, passionate and explorative. Bernie is a sculptural ceramicist and oil and acrylic painter and exhibits nationwide. His work focuses on the every day, pulling resources from current affairs, social media and personal communications and experiences. His daily art habit and search for sense in the 21st century are evident in his practice.
Maelyn Charlton an artist in her own right has teamed up with Bernie to create more exciting tiles.
My art practice involves a large amount of research, gathering resources from current affairs, social media, banal objects, advertising, signs, labels and tokens from the everydayness of our capitalist consumer society, created by colonialism.
I am inspired by the ordinary and every day, searching for sense in the ever-changing 21st-century landscape. My work starts from a pile of craziness, evidence of a daily casting around to find the idea for an exhibition. I sift through it all to make sense of it and find that idea.
I would love the opportunity to create a body of work or works to express how I feel about the past, present and future of my turangawaewae.
As an artist I not only try to make a living by creating a bread-and-butter line, but I also try to bring a laugh, a smile, and happiness into the daily lives of the masses. But I also feel that I have a job — to stand on the podium and shout out loud, pour my heart and soul into a public piece of art so that it speaks to others and resonates throughout the land and beyond.
Bernie
ARTS EDUCATION
2001 Bachelor of Visual Art and Design, Easter Institute of Technology
ARTIST C.V
EXHIBITION HISTORY
1999 Diploma Graduation Exhibition, Hastings City Art Gallery
2000 Graduation Degree Exhibition, Hastings City Art Gallery
2002 All Care and No Responsibility (Group Show), Hastings Community Arts Centre
2002 7200 (Group Show), Artist’s Workshop, Napier
2003 Snarler (Solo Show), Civic Gallery, Napier
2003 Land Ahoy (Solo Show), Community Arts Napier
2003 Finalist, Norsewear Art Competition
2003 Poppy Cockby Contemporary Wannabes (Group Show), Hastings Community Arts Centre, Hastings
2004 Barking Mad (Group Show), Seuter Gallery, Nelson
2004 Group Show, Aratoi, Masterton
2004 Brawn (Solo Show), Pipi, Greytown
2005 Looking (Solo Show), Aaron Lawrence Gallery, Wellington
2005 Settlers Dust (Solo Show), Aaron Lawrence Gallery, Wellington
2005 Drawings (Group Show), Aaron Lawrence Gallery, Wellington
2005 Show Pony (Group Show), Aaron Lawrence Gallery, Wellington
2005 Animal Crackers (Group Show), Mary Newton Gallery, Wellington
2007 Wallace Art Awards Finalist, Auckland
2008 Vent (Group Show), Thermostat Gallery, Palmerston North
2010 Extramural Study Art Show (Group Show), Massey University
2011 Wairarapa Review Finalist, Aratoi WMAH, Masterton
2012 Bull-etin Butty (Solo Show), Aratoi WMAH, Masterton
2012 Residue (Solo Show), Ipiriri Gallery, Pahia
2012 Artist in Residency, North Tech, Keri Keri
2012 Wairarapa Review Finalist, Aratoi WMAH, Masterton
2013 Detritus (Solo Show), Herbert Gallery, Wairarapa
2013 Recent Works (Solo Show), Herbert Gallery, Wairarapa
2014 Hui Hui (Group Show), Community Arts Napier
2014 Crowning Glory (Group Show), Pipi, Havelock North
2014 Slice (Solo Show), Pipi, Havelock North
2015 Clay and Paint (Solo Show), Poi Room, Newmarket, Auckland
2015 Solo (Solo Show), EIT IDEAschool Foyer Gallery, Napier
2016 X Pollination (Group Show), Hastings Community Arts Centre, Hastings
2016 Skulltopia (Group Show), Boyd Dunlop Gallery, Napier
2016 Doing the Rounds, Boots ’n’ All (Solo Show), Boyd Dunlop Gallery, Napier
2016 Ceramics, A&E Gallery, Napier
2017 Spud Bowls, Hastings City Art Gallery, Hastings
2017 East (Group Show), Hastings City Art Gallery, Hastings
2017 Art to Music Project, in collaboration with Fane Flaws
2017 Buggar (Group Show), Tennyson Art Gallery, Napier
20017/18 Suspect Device (Group Show), Julia Reinhold Gallery, Keri Keri
2018 Still (Group Show), Muse Gallery, Havelock North
2018 Zero Gravity (Group Show), White Night, Community Arts Napier
2018 Spud (Solo Show), NZ Potato Growers, Auckland
2018 Finalist, UKU Clay Ceramics Competition, Community Arts Napier
2018 Playtime (Group Show), Muse Gallery, Havelock North
2018/19 Intervention Reinvention (Group Show) Hangar Gallery, Whangarei
2019 Separate Union (Group Show), Muse Gallery, Havelock North
2019 Nothing for No Reason in No Order (Solo Show), Hastings City Art Gallery
2019 Tuia 250 ki Turanga (Group Show), Rangiwaho Marae, Gisborne
2019 LA Petite Mort (Group Show) Wallace Gallery, Morrinsville
2019 Playtime (Group Show), Muse Gallery, Havelock North
2020 Alphabet Soup (Group Show), A Gallery, Whanganui
2020 Stations (Group Show), A Gallery, Whanganui
2020 CovertCovid(GroupShow),AGallery,Whanganui
2020 We CAN Celebrate (Group Show), Community Arts Napier, Napier
2020 Local Lockdown (Group Show), Hastings City Art Gallery, Hastings
2020 Next (Solo Show), The Rabbit Room Gallery, Napier
2020 Style Tile (Solo Show), Muse Gallery, Havelock North
2020 Art After Dark (Group Show), Nuit Blanche, Boyd Dunlop Gallery, Napier
2020 La Petite Mortno.2 (Solo Show), Boyd Dunlop Gallery, Napier
2020 Daily Bread (Solo Show), Community Arts Napier, Napier
2020 Winner Taradale Pottery Award, UKU National Ceramic Competition
2021 Cherry on Top (Solo Show), Boyd Dunlop Gallery, Napier
2021 Hui Hui (Group Show), Urban Winery, Napier
2021 I Saw You (Group Show), Spaceship, Hastings
2021 Hawke’s Bay Ceramic Market (Group Show), MorganMade, Napier
2021 MAGS Art Show (Group Show), Mount Albert Grammar School, Auckland
2022 Big Apple Public Art (Group Show), Hastings
2022 Group Christmas Show, Paper Works Gallery, Te Awanga
2022 Makers Market (Group Show), Sala Salon, Napier
2023 Live Paint, Outfield Festival, Te Awanga
2023 Hawke’s Bay Review (Group Show), Community Arts Napier
2023 Bring a Plate (Group Show), Spaceship, Hastings
2023 Overall Winner Pallet Cleanser Competition, Arts Inc Hastings
2023 Nuit Blanche Group Raku Firing, Napier
2023 Hawke’s Bay Art Trail, Open Studio, Napier
2023 Double Happy (Solo Show), Department of Curiosities, Napier
2023 Higgledy Piggledy (Solo Show), Firebird Cafe, Levin
2023 Group Christmas Show, Paper Works Gallery, Te Awanga
2024 Music is Life, Outfield Festival, Te Awanga
2024 ‘sketchbook’ (Group Show), Quay Gallery, Whitford