Candy Clarke

Candy Clarke grew up in Kerikeri, surrounded by the colour and light of the Far North – a visual language that continues to shape her art today. Now based in Nelson, she has developed a distinctive practice painting in reverse on Perspex, a technique that has become her signature. What began more than twenty years ago as an accident in the studio has evolved into a highly refined process. Working backwards on sheets of clear acrylic, Candy paints in reverse order – applying the final highlights first and the background last. This method demands precision and imagination, resulting in work that shimmers with light, depth, and unexpected energy. The transparency of Perspex allows light to bounce through each layer, giving her paintings a glowing, animated quality. Her paintings move between abstraction and narrative, where words, colour, and design merge into vivid compositions. Text appears throughout her work – sometimes whispered along the edges, sometimes in bold graphic form – drawn from snippets of conversation, lyrics, everyday sayings, and the shorthand of digital life. These fragments become part of her visual storytelling, adding wit and rhythm to her compositions while capturing the tone of contemporary culture. Playfulness and curiosity lie at the heart of Candy’s practice. Through strong colour, sharp design elements, and a sly sense of humour, she explores how people communicate and connect. Her art balances structure with spontaneity, reflection with irony – capturing both the chaos and charm of modern life. Candy Clarke is a graduate of the Dunedin School of Art, where she majored in Printmaking, and also studied Graphic Design at NMIT in Nelson. Her work combines these disciplines in paintings that are bright, layered and unmistakably her own – works that invite viewers to pause, smile, and look again.