Sylvia Lolita Cathrine Marsters (née Tyler; born 1962) is a New Zealand artist of

Cook Islands The Cook Islands is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It consists of 15 islands whose total land area is approximately . The Cook Islands' Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) covers of ocean. Avarua is its ...

descent. In 2003, she received a residency in the Cook Islands from

Creative New Zealand The Arts Council of New Zealand Toi Aotearoa (Creative New Zealand) is the national arts development agency of the New Zealand government established in 1963. It invests in artists and arts organisations, offering capability building programmes a ...

, and she has exhibited in

Rarotonga Rarotonga is the largest and most populous of the Cook Islands. The island is volcanic, with an area of , and is home to almost 75% of the country's population, with 10,898 of a total population of 15,040. The Parliament of the Cook Islands, Coo ...

many times since, as well as in New Zealand, Fiji and New York. Her exhibitions draw big crowds in the Cook Islands.

Early life and family

Marsters was born in

Auckland Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...

in 1962. Her father, David Tyler, was from

Aitutaki Aitutaki, also traditionally known as Araura and Utataki, is the second most-populated island in the Cook Islands, after Rarotonga. It is an "almost atoll", with fifteen islets in a lagoon adjacent to the main island. Total land area is , and the ...

, and he moved to New Zealand in 1952. She grew up in the Auckland suburb of

Ōtara Ōtara is a suburb of South Auckland, New Zealand (formerly Manukau City), situated 18 kilometres to the southeast of the Auckland CBD, Auckland City Centre. Ōtara lies near the head of the Tāmaki River. The area is traditionally part of t ...

, and was educated at Auckland Seventh-day Adventist High School in

Māngere Bridge Māngere Bridge may refer to: *Māngere Bridge (suburb), a suburb of Auckland *Māngere Bridge (bridges) Māngere Bridge, officially also called the Manukau Harbour Crossing, is a dual motorway bridge over the Manukau Harbour in south-weste ...

. After leaving school, she worked as a machinist in a clothing factory, and attended evening art classes. She married Early Marsters, whose family came from

Palmerston Island Palmerston Island is a coral atoll in the Cook Islands in the Pacific Ocean about northwest of Rarotonga. James Cook landed there on 16 June 1774. Overview Palmerston Island is one of a number of sandy islets on a continuous ring of coral ree ...

and

Mangaia Mangaia (traditionally known as A'ua'u Enua, which means ''terraced'') is the most southerly of the Cook Islands and the second largest, after Rarotonga. It is a roughly circular island, with an area of , from Rarotonga. Originally heavily popul ...

, and the couple established a sewing business based in their home, making casual and children's clothing incorporating Māori and Pasifika designs.

Art career

Marsters was under tutelage of

Lois McIvor Lois Rayma McIvor (22 October 1930 – 11 June 2017) was a New Zealand artist from West Auckland. McIvor was one of the founding members of the Association of Women Artists, her career spans 5 decades and continuing well into her final years. ...

in the beginning of Marsters' art career, and was encouraged by McIvor to pursue art. Marsters also helped her sister, a teacher, with art classes at her old school. She began exhibiting in about 1996, with the subject of her paintings being the flora, fauna, scenery and life in the Cook Islands, although she had never visited there. In 1998, Ian George curated ''Paringa Ou'', the first major exhibition of contemporary art by Cook Island artists residing in New Zealand featuring artists such as

Ani O'Neill Ani O'Neill (born 1971) is a New Zealand artist of Cook Islands, Cook Island (Ngāti Makea, Ngāti Te Tika) and Irish descent. She has been described by art historian Karen Stevenson as one of the core members of a group of artists of Pasifika ...

, Sylvia Marsters,

Mahiriki Tangaroa Mahiriki Tangaroa (born 1973, Auckland, New Zealand) is a New Zealand-born Cook Islands photographer and painter. She is a former director of the Cook Islands National Museum. She is recognised as a leading contemporary Cook Islands artist, and h ...

Michel Tuffery Michael "Michel" Cliff Tuffery (born 27 May 1966) is a New Zealand artist of Samoan, Tahitian and Cook Islands descent. He is one of New Zealand's most well known artists and his work is held in many art collections in New Zealand and around ...

, Jim Vivieaere, Ian George, and Kay George, the exhibition travelled to the

Fiji Museum The Fiji Museum is a museum in Suva, Fiji, located in the capital city's botanical gardens, Thurston Gardens. Background The museum is a statutory body and is under the administration of the Fiji Museum Act and the Preservation of Objects of A ...

, the

Cook Islands National Museum The Cook Islands National Museum is a museum in Avarua on Rarotonga, in the Cook Islands. Its collection includes contemporary and historic artefacts, as well as replicas of objects in foreign institutions. Background A purpose-built museum bu ...

, as well as the

Gus Fisher Gallery Gus Fisher Gallery is a contemporary art gallery owned and operated by the University of Auckland in Auckland Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is loca ...

in Auckland. The exhibition was partly sponsored by the New Zealand High Commission in Rarotonga. In 2003, the Pacific Arts Committee of

awarded Marsters the Cook Islands Artist's Residency. During her three-month residency in Rarotonga, Marsters met art dealer Ben Bergman, and developed a close relationship that eventually led to her 2014 solo exhibition ''New Yorkers Don't See Flowers'' at VOLTA NY in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. Prior to VOLTA NY, Marsters was in a group exhibition, ''MANUIA'', co-curated by

and Ben Bergman in downtown New York City in 2010, exhibiting with artists

Mike Tavioni Mitaera Ngatae Teatuakaro Michael Tavioni (born 1947) is a Cook Islands artist and writer. A master carver, he has been described as a ''taonga'' (treasure). His role in the pacific art community is recognised from New Zealand to Hawaii. Tavioni ...

, Michel Tuffery,

Andy Leleisi'uao Andy Leleisi’uao (b. 1969) is a New Zealand artist of Samoan heritage known for his modern and post-modern Pacific paintings and art. He was paramount winner at the 26th annual Wallace Art Awards in 2017 and awarded a Senior Pacific Artist Awa ...

, Kay George, Jerome Shedden, and Mahikiri Tangaroa. Following her residency in Rarotonga, Marsters returned and exhibited there many times, including an exhibition, ''E Moemoea Naku 2'', was held there in 2023, celebrating 20 years of exhibiting in Rarotonga, Cook Islands. In 2024, Marsters returns to Rarotonga for her 100th exhibition titled E Kura Reitumanava no Rarotonga (Love letters for Rarotonga)'''.

Residencies

* 2003 – Cook Islands Artist's Residency by the Pacific Arts Committee of Creative New Zealand

Selected solo exhibitions

* 2024: ''E Kura Reitumanava no Rarotonga (Love letters for Rarotonga),''

Bergman Gallery Bergman Gallery is an international commercial art gallery with an original gallery in Rarotonga, Cook Islands, and a second gallery in Auckland, New Zealand. Bergman Gallery represents and has represented many significant international artist ...

, Rarotonga, Cook Islands * 2023: ''E Moemoea Naku 2'', Bergman Gallery, Rarotonga, Cook Islands * 2022: ''E Moemoea Naku - A Dream of Mine'', Bergman Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand * 2014: ''New Yorkers don’t see Flowers'', BCA Gallery (now Bergman Gallery), VOLTA New York,

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

* 2003: ''Te Ruperupe O Toku Ipukarea,''

Selected group exhibitions

* 2024: ''Aotearoa Art Fair'',

Viaduct Events Centre The Viaduct Events Centre is a stand-alone, multi-purpose events centre built on the Halsey Street extension wharf, Wynyard Quarter of Auckland, New Zealand. It was owned and operated by Regional Facilities Auckland, an organisation under the con ...

, Auckland, New Zealand * 2023: ''Te Vaerua O Te Va'ine - Our Mother's Hands'', Bergman Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand * 2022: ''Te Atuitanga Beneath Our Cloak of Stars,'' Bergman Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand * 2010: ''MANUIA'', BCA Gallery (now Bergman Gallery), the American Indian Community House,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

, United States * 2008: ''Cross-Currents,'' Matakana Gallery,

Matakana Matakana is a small town in the Rodney Ward of Auckland Council of New Zealand. Warkworth lies about 9 km (5½ miles) to the south-west, Snells Beach the same distance to the south, Ōmaha is about 7 km (4¼ miles) to the east, and ...

, New Zealand * 2007: ''Te Manea O Rarotonga'', Reef Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand * 2007: ''Pacific Rhythm'', Waiheke Art Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand * 2006: ''Frangipani Lush'', The Edge/

Aotea Centre The Aotea Centre () is a performing arts and events centre in Auckland, New Zealand. Located at the western edge of Aotea Square, off Queen Street, the centre provides a cultural, entertainment and conventions venue space in the heart of the ...

, Auckland, New Zealand * 1998: ''Paringa Ou'',

, Rarotonga, Cook Islands * 1998: ''Paringa Ou,''

, Suva, Fiji * 1998: ''Paringa Ou,''

, Auckland, New Zealand

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Marsters, Sylvia 1962 births Living people Artists from Auckland 21st-century New Zealand painters Cook Island artists New Zealand painters 21st-century New Zealand women painters