Parlour Projects is delighted to present a new body of work by Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington-based artist, Briana Jamieson. Titled Castles, the six oil paintings feature glowing vintage candle chandeliers and luminescent floral arrangements on both rose-pink and earthy black backgrounds.

The atmosphere of Castles stems from Jamieson's experience of living in Huetepara Lyall Bay, one minute's walk from the sea. The titles of the paintings make reference to a range of objects, scenes and settings from everyday life. It is often during the artist's daily walks through her neighbourhood where she encounters or observes these quotidian events.

A dusty seaside pink background features in two works, Island and Seaside. Inspiration for this colour was drawn from nearby homes, garages and stone walls. "It is a colour," Jamieson notes, "that mixes a pink sunset with golden sand to make an ice cream flavour." It is the colour of a bookshelf in the artist's home that sits in the dining room, covered in plants and bowls. Each morning when the sun comes through the window, the objects glow, as if they themselves are radiating light and warmth.

Next-door, the neighbour's grounds are wild and overgrown; a secret garden of sorts. Patio chairs sit in a clearing surrounded by lavender, a banana palm and tall, wispy trees that have delicate seaside-pink flowers on their branches. Sunflowers grow in terracotta pots along the front porch, looking out to sea.

At night, observes Jamieson, the streets near the sea often bathe in mist; hazy, salty air that hovers over the gardens and surrounds the streetlights in glowing halos. The result is plants, flowers and trees that appear to emit a warm, shining aura. Painted on gritty dark backgrounds, Jamieson's paintings—Golden, Grapefruit and Starlight—so perfectly capture this incandescent effect.

Seen together, the works in Castles reveal energetic, spirited compositions that celebrate the beauty of the sea, the everyday and nightfall. Please email info@parlourprojects.com with any questions or enquiries. Alternatively, the artworks can be viewed and purchased directly online. 

Born in Aotearoa New Zealand in 1993, Briana Jamiseon lives and works in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington. In 2015 she graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (First Class Honours) from Massey University, Wellington. Jamieson's broad practice encompasses painting, writing and publishing.