Tabatha Forbes (born 1972) is a

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

artist known for her

botanical Botany, also called plant science, is the branch of natural science and biology studying plants, especially Plant anatomy, their anatomy, Plant taxonomy, taxonomy, and Plant ecology, ecology. A botanist or plant scientist is a scientist who s ...

paintings and textiles.

Early life and family

When Forbes was nine years old, during a family trip to

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

, her grandfather Ernest Forbes gave Forbes her first set of

oil paint Oil paint is a type of slow-drying paint that consists of particles of pigment suspended in a drying oil, commonly linseed oil. Oil paint also has practical advantages over other paints, mainly because it is waterproof. The earliest surviving ...

and paintbrushes and told Forbes she only needed four colours that were white, yellow, blue and red. At age 21, she was accepted into

Elam School of Fine Arts The Elam School of Fine Arts, founded by John Edward Elam, is part of the University of Auckland Faculty of Creative Arts and Industries, Faculty of Creative Arts and Industries at the University of Auckland. It offered the first Bachelor of ...

, University of Auckland, but she did not pursue painting but instead focused on sound, art video and performance. In 2000, she lived in West Auckland. She later moved to

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 ...

, Cook Islands, with her family from 2011 through 2016 while she studied part-time for Doctorate in Fine Arts, and eventually graduated in 2016 from Elam School of Fine Arts,

University of Auckland The University of Auckland (; Māori: ''Waipapa Taumata Rau'') is a public research university based in Auckland, New Zealand. The institution was established in 1883 as a constituent college of the University of New Zealand. Initially loc ...

Art career

While her family was living in Rarotonga between 2011 through 2016, her family was immersed with the locals and her children attended schools in Rarotonga. Her exhibitions in Rarotonga featuring 'ei katu ( flower crowns) were well-received by the Rarotongan locals.

Selected solo exhibitions

* 2023: ''The Printed Hibiscus,'' Bergman Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand * 2020: ''In Another Light II'', Muse Art Gallery,

Hastings Hastings ( ) is a seaside town and Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England, east of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to th ...

, New Zealand * 2017: '''Ei Katu'', Bergman Gallery, Rarotonga,

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 ...

* 2012: ''Takeaways: from the South Pacific,'' Seed Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand * 2011: ''I Don’t Know Your Name (But I’ll Call You…)'', Corban Estate Arts Centre, Auckland, New Zealand

Selected group exhibitions

* 2023: ''State of Nature – Picturing the Silent Forest'',

Puke Ariki Puke Ariki is a combined museum and library at New Plymouth, New Zealand, which opened in June 2003. It is an amalgamation of the New Plymouth Public Library (founded in 1848) and the Taranaki Museum (founded in 1919). Its name, Māori for "hil ...

, New Plymouth, New Zealand * 2020: ''Tatou 2, The Story of Us'', Bergman Gallery, Rarotonga, Cook Islands * 2011: ''Group Exhibition'', Corban Estate Art Centre, Auckland, New Zealand

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Forbes, Tabatha 1972 births Living people 21st-century New Zealand painters New Zealand painters 21st-century New Zealand women painters University of Auckland alumni