Art Biography
Vincent Ward is an artist and award-winning filmmaker. His art practice is best described in the words of Art Forum writer, Anthony Byrt : "Ward is a virtuosic postcolonial image-maker. Just like McCahon and Binney, Ward has never shied away from the truth: he digs and digs until he gets somewhere other filmmakers and artists don’t often visit: a psychic space where violence, memory, myth, sex and religion mingle in a landscape scarred by history."
Ward has exhibited widely since 2012 including a major exhibition at the Shanghai Biennale (2012), where he was the first New Zealander to participate. As a guest of renowned Chinese video artist and curator, Qiu Zhijie, he staged a solo exhibition taking over an entire cathedral on the Bund.
Ward's large scale immersive solo show at the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery was curated by Rhana Devenport, former director of the Art Gallery of South Australia. His follow up exhibition at the Gus Fisher Gallery was curated by Andrew Clifford currently director of Sarjeant Gallery. His painting and video work has also been exhibited at other public galleries throughout New Zealand.
Ward has collaborated with other artists including legendary Chinese contemporary ink artist, Wang Dong Ling and is currently working on projects with Tūhoe artist Tame Iti.
Ron Sang published a large format art book titled, Inhale/Exhale, which included essays by curator Andrew Clifford and academic Roger Horrocks.
Ward has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Fine Arts by the University of Canterbury. He has been an Adjunct Professor at the University of Canterbury (Film and Fine Arts) and was conferred a guest Professorship at the China Academy of Art, School of Fine Arts, in Hangzhou.