Jan Nigro: Out of The Bedroom Into the Lounge

New Zealand artist Jan Nigro (b. 1920, d. 2012) was born in Gisborne and attended Manutūkē School before moving to Napier during 1930.

This significant retrospective exhibition has been distilled from her life’s work held by the Jan Nigro Trust. The works illustrate a strong female contribution to the trajectory of contemporary New Zealand art history and reclaims Jan Nigro as an important New Zealand artist. Nigro resolutely celebrated the human figure regardless of trends in contemporary art practice.

It also firmly places the artist as commentator, a role she perhaps unwittingly played as her content reflected current events or thinking during a period of immense social change in New Zealand. Most importantly it celebrates us, our bodies, united by an unclad identity and shaped by her uninhibited colourful context.

During her life, Jan battled to have her close focus on the ‘nude’ accepted by viewers and peers. We are honouring Jan’s commitment to “get them out of the bedroom and into the lounge” as she wished.

This exhibition is brought to you by Fine Art Society New Zealand, Jan Nigro Trust and Hastings City Art Gallery.