Angus Collis was born in Masterton and raised in the small town of Kutarere. After studying art at university, his artistic journey began at West Side Studios, a vibrant creative space still operating today on the corner of Hopetoun Street and Ponsonby Road. Shortly after, Angus established his own warehouse studio, transforming it into a thriving art collective. It was there that he began to refine both his artistic practice and his skills in studio management.
Angus has travelled to America and Europe, having had successful exhibitions in Paris, Barcelona and Madrid. Though living abroad, his work remained deeply connected to New Zealand landscapes, even as it became increasingly influenced by the abstract language of artists like Joan Miró.
After more than a decade overseas, Angus and his family returned to New Zealand, settling in Ōhiwa Harbour. He continues his printmaking practice, and in his recent work, he explores the inherent geometry and rhythms found in the natural world.
Angus Collis primarily works in painting and woodblock printmaking, employing a traditional Japanese hand-pressing technique. By using a baren (a small, rounded pressing tool) over a mechanical press, Angus can control the pressure across the surface. This element of added control allows Angus to create gradients of colour, and layer speckled tones that blur the lines between printmaking and painting.
The use of traditional woodblocks creates a natural grain in Angus’s prints - his choice of thin, delicate papers is crucial to his process as it allows the ink to transfer better under hand pressure. This combination of wood grain texture and responsive thin paper creates a natural dialogue between materials that becomes part of the artistic outcome.
