Oliver Cain
Oliver Cain is an English born/New Zealand Artist. His work changes, develops and covers a wide range of topics and materials. Cain’s work is diverse and can be made of anything and take any form. His artworks, crafted objects, sculptures, and installations, bear a certain physicality and push the boundaries between conceptualism and post-pop art.
As proud member of the queer community, Cain uses his work to examine, question and criticize the relationships between gender, sexuality, and societies misconceptions about those themes. However, despite what it might look like to the contemporary spectator, a purely erotic and queer reading of the work would be misguided. There is a universal profundity at play revealing itself slowly for those willing to look and feel.
Cain’s work initiates a conversation between avant-garde artistic production and human perceptions about queer sexuality. The creative process is essential, and each piece of art has its own identity and reason to exist, born from intimate personal experiences. Appropriated everyday objects transform stereotypes and famous art historical references become twisted.
ARTICLES & REVIEWS
How to get artwork in the biggest art museums in the world
World of Wearable Arts Article
Art Review - The Nomadic Art Gallery
ESSAYS
Sir Bob Harvey - Banana Boy (Metro Magazine Autumn 2023)
Andrew Wood - Urinal Banana Project
Dina Jezdic - Oliver Cain
Andrew Wood - Banana Art
Awards/Achievements:
World of Wearable Arts Finalist 2022 & Second Prize for Monochromatic Category
Craig’s Investment Partners Art 3D Award - 2022 Molly Morpeth Canaday Awards
First Prize – National Youth Art Awards 2021
Highly Commended Kumeu Arts Award 2021
Product Collaboration with Refold
Fashion Collaboration with Clique Fitness for Sweat with Pride (2021)
Highly Commended 2020 - ECC NZ Student Design/Craft Awards
Craig’s Investment Partners Art 3D Award - 2020 Molly Morpeth Canaday Awards
Touring finalist for The Wallace Art Awards 2020
Overall Supreme award - ECC 2019
Tuatara Ceramic Award - ECC 2019
Overall winner of the Eden Arts Award 2019
Touring finalist for The Wallace Art Awards 2019
Highly Commended 2018 - ECC NZ Student Design/Craft Awards
Finalist for The Wallace Art Awards 2018
Merit Award 2018 - Riley Consultant members competition
Merit Award 2018 - Royal Easter Show
GALLERIES/EXHIBITIONS SHOWN IN:
2023
- Cleveland National Art Awards - Otago NZ
- Group Show – Bergman Gallery - Auckland
- Public Installation – Te Uru Gallery, Canterbury City Gallery, Waikato Museum, Dowse Art Gallery
- Group Show - Pride – Bergman Gallery - Auckland
- Solo Show - ‘Just a Little Gay’ – Lake House Arts – Auckland
2022
- Portage Ceramic Award 2022 Finalist – TeUru Gallery
- Public Installation - National Gallery, Tate Modern, Tate Britain, The MET, Guggenheim, MOMA, Getty, Hammer Museum
- The Forsyth Barr Contemporary Ceramic Award - Nelson
- World of Wearable arts – Wellington
- Waitakere Arts Show - Auckland
- Nelson Sculpture Awards – Wellington
- Traffic Jam Gallery ‘Untitled’ – Group Show – Melbourne
- Hibiscus and Bays Art Awards
- Kumeu Art Awards Group Exhibition
- Solo Show ‘They Were Roommates’ – Auckland NZ
- Molly Morpeth Canaday Awards 2022 - NZ
- National Youth Art Awards – Hamilton NZ
- Group show – Oddly Projects Opening Show – Auckland
- Kaipara Coast Sculpture Gardens Exhibition NZ
2021
- Solo Show, The Nomadic Art Gallery -‘Nipple Twist’ – Leuven, Belgium
- Portage Ceramic Awards 2021 - Te Uru
- Sculpture Onshore - Virtual
- NZ Contemporary Art Awards – Hamilton Museum
- Emerging Practitioner in Clay Award - Quartz, Museum of Studio Ceramics, Whanganui
- Group Show Virtual - The Holy Art – UK
- Solo Show - ‘Body Filled Body Candy’ - Studio 1- Auckland
2021
- Group Show Virtual - Galerie Biesenbach – Germany
- Galerie Biesenbach – Art Matters 3 online Group Show (Germany)
- MADE - Mt Albert Art + design Exhibition
- Gallery Thirty Three - Ceramic show with Mandy Gargiulo
- Auckland Art Fair
- Solo Show ft.Billy Apple, Föenander Galleries - ‘It’s a Boy’
- Wallace Gallery Morrinsville (WAA)
- Pātaka Art+Museum (WAA)
- Paragon Matter - Owhango Summer Sculpture Show
- Kaipara Coast Sculpture Gardens Exhibition
- Sarjeant Gallery – ‘Corner Dairy’
2020
- The Dowse Art Museum - ECC NZ Student Design/Craft Awards
- Taranaki National Art Awards
- Kings Collage Art Exhibition
- Föenander Galleries – Solo Show ‘Relatively Fruity’
- Par Homestead - Finalist for The Wallace Art Awards
- Mairangi Arts Centre
- Auckland Art Fair - Virtual
- The Vivian - Matakana
- Corban Estate Arts Centre – ‘Paint etc.’
- Molly Morpeth Canaday Awards - Whakatane
- Academy Galleries (WAA) - Queens Wharf, Wellington
- Föenander Galleries – ‘small work salon’
- Millers O’Brien – ‘Graduation Show’ - Wellington
2019
- Föenander Galleries - Group show - ‘Ida Soleil’
- Wallace Gallery Morrinsville (WAA)
- The Dowse Art Museum - ECC NZ Student Design/ Craft Awards
- Par Homestead - Finalist for The Wallace Art Awards
- NKB Gallery
- Parnell Gallery
- Webbs - Eden Arts 2019
- Lake House Arts - Ceramic Showcase