Wellington artist celebrated for lush, hyperreal garden paintings featuring rhododendrons, azaleas and vibrant NZ landscapes.
Karl Maughan is a Wellington-based artist celebrated for his signature subject – the garden. For over three decades, Maughan has pursued this theme in an almost meditative fashion, creating and recreating crisp gardenscapes filled with rhododendrons, azaleas, hydrangeas, and wildflowers in endless configurations of vibrant colour.
Key Facts
- Born: 1964
- Education: MFA, Elam Art School, University of Auckland (1987)
- Location: Wellington, New Zealand
- First Solo Exhibition: 1989, Gow Langsford Gallery
- Collections: Te Papa, Charles Saatchi Collection (London)
Early Life & Inspiration
Maughan grew up on a farm in the Manawatū. Both of his parents were keen gardeners – at times, his father designed gardens for a living.
His passion for the garden motif began in art school, where he painted his mother’s garden. That early subject would become his life’s work and signature style.
Artistic Technique
Alla Prima (Wet on Wet)
Maughan paints with oil paint using a technique called “alla prima” or “wet on wet”. Colour mixing takes place on the canvas rather than the palette. One colour cuts into rather than blends into another, creating a wonderful sense of sparkle and depth.
Hyperreal Style
His work is hyperreal – meticulous representation of brightly coloured garden shrubs. However, the realism only goes so far: there are no weeds, no broken branches, and autumn colours sit oddly beside spring-flowering rhododendrons. This is a highly manipulated scene – an idealised garden at its very manicured best.
Clear Sunshine
Maughan’s gardens are always bathed in clear sunshine – creating crisp shadows and vivid colours that contribute to the hyperreal quality of his work.
Career Highlights
International Experience
In 1994, Maughan moved to London, where he married novelist Emily Perkins and raised their family of three children until 1997 when they returned to New Zealand. He currently lives in Wellington.
Gallery Representation
Gow Langsford Gallery hosted Karl Maughan’s first solo exhibition in 1989 and has represented him throughout his career. He also shows with Page Galleries and The Central.
Recent Exhibition
His most recent exhibition, “Verdant”, opened in September 2025 at Page Galleries – presenting new paintings from the Pōneke (Wellington) based artist.
Public Collections
Maughan has work in significant international and national collections including Te Papa Tongarewa (Museum of New Zealand) and The Charles Saatchi Collection in London.
Subject Matter
Over three decades, Maughan has painted both large and small works featuring:
- Rhododendrons – bold, colourful blooms
- Azaleas – delicate spring flowers
- Hydrangeas – soft, rounded flower heads
- Wildflowers – informal, naturalistic touches
Popular Works
- Cross Hill
- Riverhead
- Whenua Tapu
- Cambridge
- Marchent Ridge
Available Prints
Karl Maughan prints are available through several New Zealand retailers:
- The Garden Party
- 100% NZ
- Pop Motif
- Father Rabbit
- Selected NZ galleries
Print Formats
Prints are available unframed on cardboard in a plastic sleeve, or framed in a black or white wooden box frame with clear glass. Unframed prints typically measure 28 x 35 cm (outer matt), while framed prints measure 310 x 380mm.
Book Publication
Auckland University Press has published a book on Karl Maughan, edited by Hannah Valentine and Gabriella Stead – a comprehensive overview of his career and artistic practice.
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