Kirstin Carlin (b. 1979, Aotearoa New Zealand) is a painter whose vibrant, gestural works re-energise the history of painting through a dynamic interplay of colour, loose brushwork and articulate material presence. Working predominantly in oil on board or aluminium, Carlin’s practice balances a thoughtful engagement with pictorial history and a playful, intuitive approach to mark-making. She lives and works in Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland) and is represented by Melanie Roger Gallery. 

Carlin completed a Master of Fine Arts at the Glasgow School of Art in 2010, and her work has been exhibited widely in artist-run spaces, public galleries and commercial institutions in Aotearoa and abroad. Her exhibitions with Melanie Roger Gallery include Echo (2025), Afternoon Sun (2024), Sunshine in Between (2023), cumulus wandering (2022), Arrangements (2018) and Pleasure Garden (2015).  In 2015–2016, Carlin was included in Necessary Distraction: A Painting Show at Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, an ambitious multi-artist survey exploring contemporary directions in New Zealand painting. H

Carlin’s contributions to painting have been recognised with awards and support including the Molly Morpeth Canaday Award (2017), Creative New Zealand Professional Development Funding and the William and Mary Armour Postgraduate Scholarship during her studies. Her work features in public and private collections, including the Arts House Trust Collection and the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade Collection. 

Carlin’s paintings are celebrated for their energetic surfaces and evocative interplay between abstraction and representation, continuing to contribute to contemporary discourse around painting in Aotearoa and internationally.