Natural GIFTS
I join renowned New Zealand painter Karl Maughan on an unusually humid Wellington evening. Karl pushes an almost comical revolving door that leads into his studio, where I am surprised at my reaction to his instantly recognisable, lucid and grand paintings. I am astounded to be so close to works I had previously only seen in books or hanging on cold walls.
I take a seat on the studio’s weathered couch. I press record and place my phone precariously on a wooden toy race-car track. Karl grabs a handful of paintbrushes, placing one between each finger, and turns to his canvas, asking if I mind if he paints while we chat.
Our conversation oscillates from his new book, in which writers and artists from New Zealand and the UK explore the deeper meanings of his work, to his brain tumour diagnosis, artistic process, and the magic of gardens…
PEARL: So, can you tell me about this book? It’s the first book that’s been done about you, right?
Yeah. My gallery and I had been talking for a while about doing a book, but I had been a bit slow about it, thinking,
