Painterly Realism 2026 - Iwen Yong
October 7 - November 1
Iwen Yong's route into painting began in a meeting room. "I stumbled into art by accident. I was working as an accountant, and while waiting for a meeting with a client I drew a picture of my dog, Gus, on the whiteboard. An older lady saw it and asked if I was keen to try oil painting and offered me some paints she had at home. So, I bought canvases and started experimenting."
A chance encounter accelerated things. "About a year later, I met painter John Crump while in Glenorchy. I went to his gallery and he said, 'you're good. Why don't you come paint with me for a year?' He took me under his wing and taught me all he could about oil painting."
Five years ago Iwen held his first exhibition, sold 22 paintings, and became a full-time artist. Before that, he spent 15 years as a chartered accountant, having studied commercial law and accounting after schooling in the Hutt Valley and university in Wellington.
Iwen is excited about his new work, considering it some of his best yet. In July Iwen gained international recognition when he was selected as a top 20 finalist for the Boldbrush International Art competition for July. The US based competition is held monthly and attracts around 3000 artists from around the world. In nine previous competitions Iwen was selected in the top 15% of entries.
"In Iwen's 2026 exhibition he has produced what I consider some of his best work yet. If you have a chance to visit the gallery you'll be rewarded with Iwen's mastery of light variations and subtleties of colour that are never fully captured in images. In particular in the two centrepice paintings, 'Maniototo' and 'Fiordland' - Alan Aldridge Kiwi Art House Gallery