Agate Rubene, aka Restless & Infectious, is an artist and illustrator with a background in fashion and graphic design. She is from Latvia and now lives in Wānaka in the South Island of NZ.
Agate’s work focuses on people and their actions, capturing emotions and feelings. She is inspired by the people around her, human interactions and patterns in nature. Agate loves using bright flat colours to create her own alternative realities, where feminine themes take centre stage.
It was such a pleasure meeting Agate and I found it super inspiring to hear a positive story of someone who has settled in NZ from Eastern Europe and is making her life as an artist here in NZ. Agate talks about how she came to live in New Zealand from Latvia and how both her homeland and her background in fashion influences her work. She shares how successful her initial approaches to galleries were, her first exhibition at Art in the Park art show in Auckland and how her knowledge and experience in graphic design has helped her so much with managing her art practice.
We chat about her illustration work, mostly with breweries, and how that connects and fits in with her fine art practice. Agate reflects on working as an artist in Aotearoa, how she feels she would never have been an artist if she'd stayed in Latvia and how painting brings her calmness and is so good for her well being.
Agate is showing her work in a group show at Turua Gallery:
Contemporary Creations of Colour
August 23rd - September 4th 2024
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