John Brown is a contemporary artist based in Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand, known for his evocative interpretations of landscape, light, and place. Drawing inspiration from the region’s rolling vineyards, coastal horizons, and ever-changing skies, his work captures both the physical beauty and emotional resonance of the environment he calls home.

Working across painting and mixed media, Brown blends traditional techniques with a modern sensibility, often exploring texture, colour, and form in ways that invite quiet reflection. His pieces balance abstraction and representation, allowing viewers to find their own connection within each work.

Brown has exhibited widely across Aotearoa New Zealand, with solo and group exhibitions in galleries throughout Hawke’s Bay, Wellington, and Auckland. His work has been featured in significant curated exhibitions, and he is the 2019 recipient of the prestigious Molly Morpeth Canaday Award, one of New Zealand’s longest-running and most respected art prizes. In 2012 he was  the recipient of the Kaipara Foundation Wallace Trust Award with a three month residency in Switzerland.  

Brown’s work is held in private and corporate collections both nationally and internationally, with collectors drawn to the atmospheric quality of his paintings and their strong sense of place, which resonate with audiences both familiar with New Zealand landscapes and those discovering them for the first time.

Through his ongoing practice, Brown continues to develop a distinctive visual language that reflects his deep connection to Hawke’s Bay, while expanding his presence within the wider contemporary art scene.