Bella Foster made her artistic debut at the NZ Art Show in 2016 at the age of 14, earning her the title of the show’s youngest exhibitor. Now 23, and with seven NZ Art Shows behind her, Bella is hard at work getting ready for this year’s show.
She invites us behind the scenes into her Mt Victoria studio for a glimpse of what she’s working on.
In a nutshell, tell us a bit about yourself – and your art.
My name is Bella Foster-Lowe (she/her) and I’m a 23-year-old artist living and working in central Wellington. I’ve always had a love for photography and, after visiting California for the first time back in 2015, I was enamoured!
My work is heavily inspired by mid-century design, retro colour palettes and the Palm Springs lifestyle. I’ve been back to California several times since, and my love for the aesthetic and lifestyle there has only grown and inspired my artwork more.
I love creating bright, vibrant artwork that makes people happy or nostalgic or provides a little window of escape to sunny California. While my art style has changed over the years, I’m still very drawn to retro and mid-century subject matter and constantly pushing myself to evolve my art practices.
When I’m not creating art, I run a second-hand online clothing store (Planet Caravan Thrift) and also create content for my mother and younger brother’s real estate business (Anji Foster Property).
How long have you been art-making? And what drew you to your artistic practice/commitment to art-making?
I’ve been practising photography since 2015, when I received my first digital camera. I started taking my photography work more seriously in 2017, when I took a trip to Los Angeles and Palm Springs and fell in love with the aesthetic of desert life. (I left the trip with two full memory cards!)
I studied painting in high school in 2018, but didn’t pick up a paintbrush again until 2021, when I moved into my first shared studio space. Since then, I’ve been focused on improving and evolving my acrylic painting work and experimenting with new techniques and subject matter.
I was initially drawn to photography through my grandfather, Bruce Foster, who has been practising photography for most of his life. I’ve always had a particular love of curating colour palettes and aesthetically pleasing moments – whether that’s in my artwork, or in everyday life. So taking photos was a natural evolution as I grew up.
The choice to present my photos in a diptych arrangement came from the love of telling a story with multiple images. I love playing with the relationship between photos, their colour palettes, subject matters and composition. I have almost as much fun editing photos as I do taking them.
How, when and why did you get involved with the show? What keeps you coming back each year?
I first exhibited with The NZ Art Show back in 2016 and was the youngest-ever exhibitor at the time! Since then, I’ve exhibited with The Art Show seven times (2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024), and had my first solo artist wall in 2022.
I initially exhibited with The NZ Art Show at the recommendation of a family friend, and after seeing my work being so well received – and selling all six of the photography pieces I had displayed – it became an event that I wanted to be involved in every year!
I love the inclusive community that The NZ Art Show has created. The support and encouragement that I’ve received from Carla, Midge and the whole team has been invaluable. It’s always been clear that they are truly passionate about art and celebrating New Zealand artists, and it’s an event that I’m very proud to be a part of.
What role does the NZ Art Show play in your year/artistic practice?
The NZ Art Show is an event that I start planning for almost as soon as the previous show wraps up and it definitely helps me stay focused on a goal and deadline. I start creating works for The Art Show at the beginning of the year and my daily routine is always centred around having as much time to paint as possible. Having exhibited with The Art Show eight times, I now know exactly what needs to be done and how much time I need to get it all done, but I’m always pushing myself to improve both my art quality and the quantity of pieces I exhibit.
The NZ Art Show is a crucial part of my artistic practice as it’s a milestone to work towards every year – and seeing all of my work hanging on the wall over King’s Birthday weekend is incredible motivation to keep creating and evolving!
What are you most looking forward to about being part of this year’s show?
I always look forward to meeting new artists and expanding my creative social circle at The Art Show, as well as seeing the variety of work on display. I also love receiving feedback from the public and meeting and chatting to the lovely people that buy my work!
I feel like a very integrated part of The NZ Art Show community now and I always look forward to catching up with fellow artist friends that I’ve met at previous shows. And, of course, I also look forward to seeing my painting and photography collections displayed on the wall – the feeling of accomplishment and pride is always very nice!
What does a typical day in the life look like for you right now as you get ready for the show?
My daily routine is heavily centred around painting. When I’m not working on my online clothing store or my social media work for Anji Foster Property, I’m in my studio painting away! Luckily, I recently moved from my shared studio space in Newtown to the spare bedroom in my family home (sorry, Mum and Dad!). So, there’s no commute to get to my art studio.
I usually spend at least five hours painting every day and often end up painting well into the evening. Once I get on a roll it’s hard to pull myself away!
What’s motivating and inspiring you?
As someone who has been self-employed since 2018, staying motivated has been a journey. But now, with meticulous to-do lists and the looming deadline of the Art Show, I wake up most days with a great sense of motivation to get as much creative work done as I can.
Once I’ve started a painting, the motivation to see it completed is what drives me every day. I’m inspired by so many things, but lately I’ve been finding a lot of inspiration from my past photography work. As I didn’t visit California last year, I’ve delved deep into the archives of forgotten photos from past trips to create new photography prints/pairings.
In turn, this has inspired several of my paintings for this year’s show. I also get plenty of inspiration from scrolling on Pinterest, liminal space aesthetic and art, Twin Peaks, David Hockney (my all-time favourite artist), and of course, Palm Springs – and observing Modernism Week from afar (and wishing I was there)!
Without giving too much away – what are you working on right now for the show?
I’m currently working on editing together a small photography series of archived images from past trips to California. I’m also working on a painting series, ‘Peaks & Palms’, which focuses on the Palm Springs lifestyle, light, shadows, interior scenes, mid-century furniture and architecture. This will hopefully include 12 paintings of all different sizes.
Is there anything new or different that you’re working on? Any sneak previews you want to share?
I am looking at doing small prints of my paintings this year, which is a new venture for me. I’ve also been very focused on evolving my painting style for this new collection and taking a very graphic approach, with lots of colour-blocking and drawing inspiration from the liminal space aesthetic.
How does art help you ‘get lost’?
Creating art helps me to get lost in the present. As an anxious person, my thoughts can often spiral and hold me back in certain areas of my life, but when I’m painting, there’s a certain stillness that calms my mind. I love getting lost in a painting, focusing on getting the perfect straight edge or mixing a colour so it’s just right. It’s almost meditative.
How do you think – or hope – your art helps your collectors and appreciators to get lost?’?
I like to think that my art can transport viewers to another place. Whether that’s Palm Springs in the 60s or a desert diner, it can be an escape from reality.
I’ve also received feedback from people that my photography work in particular creates a strong sense of nostalgia for them. This can be as specific as a photo of a vintage interior, where they recognise an element of the space that takes them back to their grandmother’s living room or their childhood home.
