Piera McArthur New Zealand, b. 1929

Works
  • Piera McArthur, Flautist
    Piera McArthur
    Flautist
    Acrylic on Marouflage Canvas
    110 x 76 cm
    Signed
  • Piera McArthur, Nude Asleep #1, 2012
    Piera McArthur
    Nude Asleep #1, 2012
    Acrylic on Marouflage Canvas
    125 x 170 cm
    Signed & dated 2012
  • Piera McArthur, Painting a Portrait, 2021
    Piera McArthur
    Painting a Portrait, 2021
    Acrylic on canvas
    30 x 40 cm
    Signed & dated '21
  • Piera McArthur, Violinist
    Piera McArthur
    Violinist
    Acrylic on Marouflage Canvas
    110 x 76 cm
    Signed
  • Piera McArthur, Painter in Vase, 2022
    Piera McArthur
    Painter in Vase, 2022
    Acrylic on canvas
    137 x 106 cm
    Framed
    Signed & dated '22
  • Piera McArthur, The Unsuccessful Show, 2023
    Piera McArthur
    The Unsuccessful Show, 2023
    Acrylic on canvas
    40 x 30 cm
    Signed & dated '23
  • Piera McArthur, Flowers, 2023
    Piera McArthur
    Flowers, 2023
    Acrylic on canvas
    140 x 100 cm
    Signed & dated '23
  • Piera McArthur, The Cellist, 2023
    Piera McArthur
    The Cellist, 2023
    Acrylic on canvas
    70 x 55 cm
    Signed & dated '23
  • Piera McArthur, The Rehearsal, 2023
    Piera McArthur
    The Rehearsal, 2023
    Acrylic on canvas
    40 x 40 cm
    Signed & dated '23
  • Piera McArthur, Three Self Portraits, 2023
    Piera McArthur
    Three Self Portraits, 2023
    Acrylic on canvas
    100 x 120 cm
    Signed & dated '23
  • Piera McArthur, Three Women, 2023
    Piera McArthur
    Three Women, 2023
    Acrylic on canvas
    130 x 90 cm
    Signed & dated '23
  • Piera McArthur, Wisteria, 2023
    Piera McArthur
    Wisteria, 2023
    Acrylic on canvas
    130 x 90 cm
    Signed & dated '23
  • Piera McArthur, Painter in Meadow, 2022
    Piera McArthur
    Painter in Meadow, 2022
    Acrylic on canvas
    153 x 203 cm
    Signed & dated '22
  • Piera McArthur, Presenting the Stallions, 2022
    Piera McArthur
    Presenting the Stallions, 2022
    Acrylic on canvas
    70 x 55 cm
    Signed & dated '22
  • Piera McArthur, Very Pleased!, 2022
    Piera McArthur
    Very Pleased!, 2022
    Acrylic on canvas
    45 x 35 cm
    Signed & dated '22
  • Piera McArthur, Critical Appraisal, Fantastic!
    Piera McArthur
    Critical Appraisal, Fantastic!
    Acrylic on marouflage canvas
    75 x 105 cm
    Signed
  • Piera McArthur, Do you have a Spare Wheel?
    Piera McArthur
    Do you have a Spare Wheel?
    Indian ink & acrylic wash
    44 x 56 cm
    Signed
  • Piera McArthur, Final Night
    Piera McArthur
    Final Night
    Acrylic on canvas
    75 x 105 cm
    Signed
  • Piera McArthur, Finishing Touches
    Piera McArthur
    Finishing Touches
    Acrylic on canvas
    45 x 35 cm
    Signed & dated '23
  • Piera McArthur, Happy Hour for the Inmates
    Piera McArthur
    Happy Hour for the Inmates
    Acrylic on paper
    56 x 76 cm
    Signed
  • Piera McArthur, Is the Gas Off? - Reminder to Self
    Piera McArthur
    Is the Gas Off? - Reminder to Self
    Acrylic on canvas
    140 x 100 cm
    Signed
  • Piera McArthur, Nude Ascending the Stairs (After Marcel Duchamp)
    Piera McArthur
    Nude Ascending the Stairs (After Marcel Duchamp)
    Acrylic on canvas
    189 x 152 cm
    Signed
  • Piera McArthur, Painter and Subject Disagree
    Piera McArthur
    Painter and Subject Disagree
    Acrylic on canvas
    40 x 30 cm
    Signed
  • Piera McArthur, Painter at Work
    Piera McArthur
    Painter at Work
    Acrylic on canvas
    120 x 85 cm
    Signed
  • Piera McArthur, Portrait in Red
    Piera McArthur
    Portrait in Red
    Signed
    122 x 76 cm
    Signed
  • Piera McArthur, Spring in the Studio
    Piera McArthur
    Spring in the Studio
    Acrylic on canvas
    40.5 x 30 cm
    Signed
  • Piera McArthur, Still Life in Purple
    Piera McArthur
    Still Life in Purple
    Acrylic on canvas
    120 x 90 cm
    Signed
  • Piera McArthur, Still Life on Blue
    Piera McArthur
    Still Life on Blue
    Acrylic on canvas
    140 x 100 cm
    Signed
  • Piera McArthur, The Wheel Room
    Piera McArthur
    The Wheel Room
    Indian ink & acrylic wash
    56 x 76 cm
    Signed
  • Piera McArthur, What a Pair
    Piera McArthur
    What a Pair
    Acrylic on canvas
    40 x 30 cm
    Signed
  • Piera McArthur, Wine Tasting in the Good Old Days: Women's Hour
    Piera McArthur
    Wine Tasting in the Good Old Days: Women's Hour
    Acrylic wash & Indian ink
    54 x 72 cm
    Signed lower right
Biography

Iconic New Zealand artist, Piera McArthur, was born in Ramsgate, England, where her New Zealand father, a member of a famous medical dynasty of the Monros, practiced for eleven years, after taking his FRCS in Edinburgh. The family moved back to their native New Zealand in 1938.

 

There the young Piera would foster her love of art and drawing. After completing her schooling at Erskine College, Piera took up a Scholarship at Victoria University and received a Master of Arts in Modern Languages with First Class Honours.

 

There she met fellow student John G. McArthur whom she married and accompanied throughout his career as one of New Zealand’s Senior Diplomats. He became one of New Zealand’s well known Ambassadors.

 

Although she insisted on working independently of the Embassy in her own right as a painter she never the less says; ‘quite frankly I owe much of my inspiration to the experiences of life in sophisticated capitals of the world.

 

I am sometimes accused of being ‘European’. This is hardly astonishing seeing that my life as a good New Zealander has been spent in capitals of the world. It is also a fact that my work deals largely with people, a theme of eternal interest and valid everywhere, in Paris, New York, Auckland, Timbuctoo … Let’s not get parochial and let’s remember that a true painter applies his or her vision to whatever happens to be the surrounding theme’.

 

Piera lived and worked for many years in Paris. While painting in Moscow later on, she became the first New Zealander to have a solo show at the New Tretiakov Gallery in Russia. Of this experience she wrote, ‘I came of age as a painter, experiencing strong reaction both for and against’.

 

Since returning to New Zealand, Piera has held numerous successful solo exhibitions and her works are held in many private and public collections throughout New Zealand and internationally.

Exhibitions