Canonical: https://johnsturgess.com/about/ John Sturgess # About ![Jars and tubes of paint gathered around a colourful, well-used studio palette.](https://johnsturgess.com/_astro/album-03.CoLnRdEX_Z1jTuy3.webp) In the studio John Sturgess is a painter based in Taita, Lower Hutt. His paintings bring together the mystical, the powerful, the cute and the wonderfully silly. John paints from his own experience and from the things he loves. A life of travel, a near-death experience, his fascination with machines and the natural world, and the people and animals close to him all find a place in his work. ## Life and travels John was born in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, in 1956. His travels began as a small child, when his family made the journey to New Zealand. **1959 · The journey to New Zealand** John and his family sailed from the United Kingdom through the Panama Canal, stopping in Tahiti. They arrived in Wellington at around six in the morning on 29 April, in the rain. John was two, with his third birthday just a few weeks away. **Auckland and journeys abroad** After leaving school, John worked in refrigeration in Auckland. Over the years, his travels have taken him through Europe, the United States, Australia and South America. Paris and Rome are his favourite cities. **2011 · Auckland to Wellington** After a holiday in the United Kingdom, John moved from Auckland to Wellington. He lived in Newtown until 2019 and now makes his home and paintings in Taita, Lower Hutt. ## A new chapter Before his first heart attack, John had no interest in making art. Rugby, cricket and making model planes occupied him instead. In March 2012, he had a major heart attack and heart surgery at Wellington Hospital. He also had a near-death experience. John describes being in a tunnel of immense length, and being offered a choice between returning to family and friends or crossing to the other side. He chose to return. This experience is central to the story of this chapter of his life, and to the mystical side of his painting. He began painting in early 2013. The impulse surprised him; he does not know where it came from. Painting became a new way to express both his experiences and his interests. ## What John paints John’s paintings move between mystical encounters and everyday enthusiasms. Eyes look out from galaxies and clouds; cute animals and silly scenes sit alongside planes, cars, boats and trains. He is fascinated by the power of the natural world: tsunamis, lightning and stormy seas. John is autistic, and his art is a direct expression of what he loves in life. This breadth comes from his own interests. Some paintings record journeys he has made, with hand-painted notes giving dates, routes and facts. Others take him into the worlds of his imagination. Ideas can arrive while he is watching television or sitting in a café; he then goes home to paint them. His home is also his studio, its walls covered in his work. ## Painting for friends John loves to paint for his friends, and their cats often find their way into his pictures. Making something for someone he cares about is an important part of his practice. His own lifelong companion, Gizmo, is a frequent star too. Part bear, part cat and very much his own character, he has a place in John’s life as well as in his paintings. [Meet Gizmo](https://johnsturgess.com/about/gizmo/) ## Exhibitions During his years in Newtown, John became a regular at People’s Coffee, where he met his friend and agent Kane, who later presented a solo show of his paintings at Drive Thru. In 2024, three of John’s works were included in *The Mongoose and the Snake* at Jhana Millers Gallery. 2024 ### [*The Mongoose and the Snake*](https://jhanamillers.com/exhibitions/the-mongoose-and-the-snake/) Jhana Millers Gallery Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington Group exhibition · 4–27 July [Explore the paintings](https://johnsturgess.com/#work) ## [Meet Gizmo](https://johnsturgess.com/about/gizmo/) OBE PhD PI · John’s lifelong companion has a story of his own.