Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, Charrette van Eekelen grew up in NYC and then lived in Northeast USA. She has travelled extensively through Europe, Asia, and North, and South America, before moving to New Zealand, where she lives and works as an artist in Christchurch.
I grew up in a household with a very creative family: my father was an architect and an urban planner, my mother is a garden designer I have cousins who are painters and architects. My paternal grandmother made quilts. I have a brother who is a sculptor, and a brother who is a woodworker, and my sister is a weaver.
Before getting back to making art in 2020, I was a Pilates instructor for close to 25 years. Some of what I loved about Pilates was seeing people getting strong and opening up and trusting their bodies. I enjoyed the connections I made with the people who trusted me. I find that Art is similar in that it's about creating a central core and then letting what is there unfold. I am often in awe seeing the materials do, what they want to do. I experience Art as listening and watching. Art to me is very much being a receiver and relaying back what was heard.
EDUCATION
2023 MFA Painting, University of Canterbury, School of Fine Arts, NZ
1985 BFA Painting and Sculpture, Bennington College, USA
1982 AA Liberal Arts, Pine Manor College, USA
EXHIBITIONS
Solo
2023 Underpins, Pumanawa Gallery, Art Centre, Christchurch, NZ
2023 Being All Powerful ( Darholm vs Shivlack) Oxford Gallery Toi o Waimakariri, Oxford, NZ
2022 St. George’s Cancer Clinic, Christchurch, NZ
2021 Darholm vs Shivlack, Jonathan Smart Gallery, Christchurch, NZ
Group
2024 Living in Colour, Solander Gallery, Wellington
2024 Molly Morpeth Awards Exhibition, 2 pieces as finalists, Whakatane
2024 Craig’s Aspiring Art Prize Exhibition, Wanaka
2023 Return to Eden, (Andrew Bond, Kara Burrowes and Charrette van Eekelen), Ilam Campus Gallery, University of Canterbury
2023 The Cleveland National Art Award, Dunedin
2023 Craig’s Aspiring Art Prize Exhibition, Wanaka
2023 ZAFAA, Ashburton, NZ
2022 ZAFAA, Ashburton, NZ
2022 Distinctly Peninsula, Auction Fundraiser
2022 Ilam 2022 Open Studio Exhibition
2021 Summer Show : A Sense of Wellbeing, Oxford Gallery, Oxford
2021 Juried Show, The Mill, Waikuku
2021 The Journey, Arts Canterbury, Te Huanui Gallery, Darfield
AWARDS
2024
Finalist(s) Molly Morpeth Awards Exhibition, 2 pieces , Whakatane
2023
CNZ Grant
Finalist - The Cleveland National Art Award, Dunedin
Finalist - ZAFAA23, Ashburton
Finalist - Craig’s Aspiring Art Prize, Wanaka
2022
Finalist - ZAFAA22, Ashburton