Michael Hight (born 1961) is a New Zealand artist and illustrator.

Background

Hight was born in

Stratford, New Zealand Stratford ( mi, Whakaahurangi) is the only town in Stratford District, and the seat of the Taranaki region, in New Zealand's North Island. It lies beneath the eastern slopes of Mount Taranaki, approximately halfway between New Plymouth and H� ...

in 1961. He graduated with a B.Soc.Sc from

Victoria University of Wellington Victoria University of Wellington ( mi, Te Herenga Waka) is a university in Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand. It was established in 1897 by Act of New Zealand Parliament, Parliament, and was a constituent college of the University of New Z ...

in 1982. Between 1984 and 1987 he traveled, and lived and painted in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

. He is a self-taught artist, and has been painting since the age of 14. Hight is the husband of New Zealand poet and children's writer

Paula Green Paula Green (September 18, 1927 – December 4, 2015) was an American advertising executive, best known for writing the lyrics to the "Look for the Union Label" song for ILGWU and the Avis motto "We Try Harder". Green was one of the pioneer ...

and has provided illustrations for several of her children's books.

Career

Hight has been a regular exhibitor since 1984, and has been a full-time artist since 2001. Hight rose to prominence in the 1990s with a series of profound exhibitions, including ''Heartland Trinkets'' (1992–93), ''In Trust'' (1995), ''Seven Rivers'' (1995), ''Four Strong Winds'' (1996) and ''Maungakakaramea'' (1998). In 2002 his

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about I ...

exhibition ''Omarama/Place of Light'' sold out prior to the opening. Hight's work is held in many New Zealand collections, and he has been the recipient of several QEII grants. Many of Hight's works are of one of two types - realistic portrayals of countryside, often dominated by beehives, or linear abstract works in wax and resin.

References

External links

NZ-Artists profile
1961 births Living people New Zealand painters Victoria University of Wellington alumni People from Stratford, New Zealand {{NewZealand-painter-stub