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Gavin Chai

Honors and Awards:

2021

Supreme Award, Cleveland National Art Awards, Otago Art Society, Dunedin, NZ.
Excellence in Painting Award, Cleveland National Art Awards, Otago Art Society, Dunedin, NZ.
Youth Award, Cleveland National Art Awards, Otago Art Society, Dunedin, NZ.

2020

Premier Award (joined) winner, Hibiscus and Bays Art Awards, Estuary Arts Centre, Orewa, NZ.
Outstanding Visual Art Student Award, AD20 Graduation Exhibition, Auckland University of Technology, NZ.
TSB Community Trust & Opunake Framing Studio Highly Commended Award, Taranaki National Arts Award 2020, Sandfords Events Centre, Opunake, NZ.
Main Prize (20 -25)National Youth Art Award 2020, Artspost Gallery, Hamilton, NZ.
Best Under $1000, Craig Aspiring Art Prize, Wanaka, NZ.

2019

Highly Commended Award Kumeu Arts Award, Kumeu Arts Centre, Auckland, NZ.
Darfield Dental Award Darfield Artweek, Selwyn, NZ.
Blue Award (Arts and Culture – Painting) Auckland University of Technology
Centago Mining Merit Award Arts Gold Award, Central Stories Museum, Alexandra, NZ.
21 & Under Artist Award Hibiscus and Bays Arts Award, Mairangi Bay Arts Centre, Auckland, NZ.
2nd Place Miniature Category, Franklin Arts Festival, Auckland, NZ
2nd Place Small Works Category, Royal Easter Show Art Competition, Auckland, NZ.
3rd Place Abstract Category, Royal Easter Show Art Competition, Auckland, NZ.
First Prize “Purely Pastels” National Art Exhibition, Percy Thompson Art Gallery, Stratford, NZ.
Best Under $1000, Craig Aspiring Art Prize, Wanaka, NZ.

2018

Highly Commended Award Kumeu Arts Award, Kumeu Arts Centre, Auckland, NZ.
Merit Award Hibiscus and Bays Art Awards, Estuary Arts Centre, Auckland, NZ.
Blue Award (Arts and Culture – Painting) Auckland University of Technology
Merit Award Darfield Artweek, Selwyn, NZ.
2nd Prize Greater Auckland Art Awards, Auckland, NZ.
First Prize “Purely Pastels” National Art Exhibition, Aigantighe Art Gallery, Timaru, NZ.
Finalist Adam Portraiture Award, Wellington, NZ.
Finalist NZ Painting and Printmaking Award, Hamilton, NZ.

2017

2nd Prize Kumeu Arts Award, Kumeu Arts Centre, Auckland, NZ.
Winsor & Newton Merit Award Impression Art Award, Nelson, NZ.
1st Prize Winner Waitakere Trust Art Award, Auckland, NZ.
3rd Place “Inspiration” category, Royal Easter Show Art Competition, Auckland, NZ.
3rd Place Professional Oil/Acrylic category, Royal Easter Show Art Competition, Auckland NZ.
Meritorious Selection  International Richeson75 Still Life & Floral competition
Emerging Artist Winner Art Muse Contest
Emerging Artist Finalist Art Muse Contest

2016

People’s Choice Award Clifton Art Prize, Auckland NZ.
3rd Place – Alpine Energy Arts Award, Geraldine Arts And Plants Festival, NZ
Merit Prize People&Portrait, Rotary Art Show, Paraparaumu, NZ
Runner up Impression 41 Max Arts Award, Nelson NZ.
3rd Place Miniature category, Franklin Arts Festival, Auckland NZ.
1st Place Small Works Category, Royal Easter Show Art Competition, Auckland, NZ.
1st Place Professional Oil/Acrylic category, Royal Easter Show Art Competition, Auckland NZ.
Finalist+Tour National Adam Portraiture Award, Wellington, NZ.

2015

3rd place 13-18yrs category, Waitakere Trust Art Award, Auckland, NZ.
2nd place Oil category, Franklin Arts Festival, Auckland, NZ.
1st Place “Pushing The Boundaries” category, Royal Easter Show Art Competition, Auckland, NZ.
Merit Award Professional Oil/Acrylic category,  Royal Easter Show Art Competition, Auckland, NZ.
Merit Award Open Youth category, Royal Easter Show Art Competition, Auckland, NZ.

2014

Emerging Artist Award Hibiscus and Bays Art Award, Auckland, NZ.
1st Place Student category, Franklin Art Festival, Auckland, NZ.
Finalist “Seascape, Rivers& Lakes” Art Prize Challenge, Australian Artist Magazine.
KG Fraser Award(Best in Show) Royal Easter Show Art Competition, Auckland, NZ.
Royal Agricultural Society Medal(Most successful artist in show) Royal Easter Show Art Competition.
2nd Place Open Oil/Acrylic category, Royal Easter Show Art Competition, Auckland, NZ.
2nd Place New Artist category, Royal Easter Show Art Competition, Auckland, NZ.
1st Place Open Youth category, Royal Easter Show Art Competition, Auckland, NZ.
Merit Award Dry Art category, Royal Easter Show Art Competition, Auckland, NZ.
Finalist+Tour National Adam Portraiture Award, Wellington, NZ.
2nd+3rd Places Rotoart Student Art Contest, Hamilton, NZ.


Solo Exhibitions:

2019

Light of Experience: people to objects (17 June – 06 July 2019), Kumeu arts centre, NZ.

2018

Life as a Builder Exhibition (17 July – 08 August 2018), Franklin Arts Centre Community Gallery, NZ.

2015

New Works (04 – 24 May), Estuary Arts Centre,  Auckland, NZ.

 

Selected Group Exhibitions:

2021

IDYILL Page Galleries, Wellington
Life as a Builder Exhibition
 (31 March to 18 April 2021), Suter Gallery, Nelson.
The Otago Art Society: The Cleveland National Art Awards, Dunedin, NZ
Silent Anthems  (16 – 26th January), Foenander Galleries, Auckland

2019

Adam Portraiture Award Touring Exhibition (17 April – 18 June 2019), Ashburton art gallery, NZ.
Character Study: the figure in action and inaction (09 March – 14 April 2019), Arts in Oxford, Oxford, NZ.
Accept each word spoken with love (04 – 20 February 2019), Northart, Auckland, NZ.
Adam Portraiture Award Touring Exhibition (19 December 2018 – January 2019), Millenium Art Gallery, Blenheim, NZ.

2018

“Blue and White” Exhibition (06 August – 26 August), Northart, Auckland, NZ.
Adam Portraiture Award Touring Exhibition (July 3 – August 19), Pah Homestead, Auckland, NZ.
Adam Portraiture Award Exhibition (01 March – 27May), NZ Portrait Gallery, Wellington, NZ.
NZ Painting and Printmaking Award Exhibition, Hamilton, NZ.

2017

The Adam Portraiture Award Touring Exhibition (16th June – 30th July), Aigantighe Art Gallery Timaru, NZ.
“Purely Pastels” National Art Exhibition(24th March – 30th April), Wallace Gallery Morrinsville, NZ
The Adam Portraiture Award Touring Exhibition (10th February – 4th March), City Gallery Invercargill, NZ.

2016

Clifton Art Prize Finalist Exhibition(12th October – 09th December), Clifton Venue Auckland CBD, NZ.
The Adam Portraiture Award Touring Exhibition (19th December 2016 – 29th January 2017), Millennium Public Art Gallery Blenheim, NZ.
The Adam Portraiture Award Touring Exhibition (16th September – 9th October) , Percy Thompson Gallery Stratford, NZ.
The Adam Portraiture Award Touring Exhibition (22nd June – 21st August), The Pah Homestead Auckland, NZ.
The Adam Portraiture Award Exhibition (25th February – 29th May), New Zealand Portrait Gallery Wellington, NZ.
Hibiscus and Bays Art Awards Exhibition (28th October – 11th December), Estuary Arts Centre Orewa, NZ.
BBYC Annual Art Exhibition (1st November – 6th November), Bucklands Beach Yacht Club, Half Moon Bay Auckland, NZ.

2015

BBYC Annual Art Exhibition (4th November – 8th  November), Bucklands Beach Yacht Club, Half Moon Bay Auckland, NZ.
The Adam Portraiture Award Touring Exhibition (1st April – 22nd June) , Hasting City Art Gallery, Hasting, NZ.
The Adam Portraiture Award Touring Exhibition (1st February – 22 March), Millennium Public Art Gallery Blenheim, NZ.

2014

Clifton Art Prize Finalist Exhibition, Clifton Venue Auckland CBD, NZ.
The Adam Portraiture Award Touring Exhibition (17th June – 17th August), The Pah Homestead Auckland, NZ.
The Adam Portraiture Award Exhibition (20th February – 25th May), New Zealand Portrait Gallery, Wellington, NZ.
Hibiscus and Bays Art Awards Exhibition (1st November -30th November), Estuary Arts Centre Orewa, NZ.
“Figure in Art” Exhibition” (24th October – 20th November), Uxbridge Arts Centre Howick, Auckland, NZ.
Bucklands Beach Yatch Club Annual Art Exhibition (Selected as the guest artist), Bucklands Beach Yacht Club, Half Moon Bay Auckland, NZ.

Public Collections

Wallace Arts Trust
New Zealand Portrait Gallery
The Stevenson Collection
Porirua City Council

Education

– Bachelor of Visual Arts, AUT
-Certificate in Applied Technology (Carpentry) 2016, Unitec