Showing 1 February – 31 March 2026 in Henderson Gallery
Paintings by Rod Eales
Where flowers become language and beauty defies time.
Step into Rod Eales’ luminous world of floral portraits—an extraordinary collection that captures nature’s most intimate moments, from the tender unfurling of a bud to the profound beauty of decay. This isn’t just an exhibition of flower paintings; it’s a meditation on life itself.
A Garden Transformed into Art
Born from Eales’ meticulously cultivated two-acre garden, this collection represents years of observation, devotion, and artistic alchemy. As an artist who transitioned from reluctant to passionate gardener, Rod discovered she could explore the same elements in her garden as in her painting—line, colour, composition, form, structure and texture.
Each painting is the result of a painstaking process: months of research, planting, photographing flowers at various stages of decay, capturing the play of light, recording surface textures, veins, colour changes, and the inevitable spots and blemishes that mark the passage of time. These observations inform multi-layered paintings where up to 15 layers of paint create an extraordinary depth and luminosity.
The Poetry of Impermanence
“Flowers are my language,” says Eales. In this collection, she uses that language to explore profound themes—personal loss, environmental fragility, and the resilience of life against climate change. The flowers transition from plump fleshy forms to surfaces of decay, including blemishes, intense colours, exposed deep veins, curled rims and altered petal shapes.
Presented in striking circular formats (93cm tondo paintings), each work references historical practices—from 1600s Cabinets of Curiosities to Victorian parlour domes—where natural treasures were preserved and displayed. Here, flowers are immortalized not under glass, but in paint, ensuring that even as they fade in nature, they live on through art.
An Artist of National Standing
Rod Eales has exhibited regularly throughout New Zealand for over 25 years, with works held in collections both nationally and internationally. Based in Otago, she has pursued a remarkable dual career as both painter and educator, specializing in art education for young children and presenting workshops throughout New Zealand.
Her ‘Art of the Flower’ series has toured galleries across the country, garnering critical acclaim for its powerful fusion of technical mastery, environmental consciousness, and emotional resonance.
Visit Details
📍 Central Stories Museum & Art Gallery, Alexandra
🕐 Open 7 days, 10am – 4pm
💰 Free entry
🎨 Works available for purchase
Experience the power of the flower. Witness nature preserved in paint. Discover why beauty matters.
Floral Portraits opens 1 February 2026.
