Candy Clarke grew up in Kerikeri and is now based in Nelson, where she has developed a highly recognisable practice painting in reverse on Perspex.
What began as an accident over twenty years ago has evolved into a refined technique that plays with light, reflection, and depth. By working backwards on clear acrylic sheets, she achieves a luminous effect that makes her colours sing and her imagery feel animated from beneath the surface.
Her paintings move easily between abstraction and narrative. Words and phrases slip into her compositions - sometimes as quiet asides, sometimes as bold graphic statements. Candy draws on the language that surrounds her - everyday expressions, fragments of songs, overheard conversations, even technology-driven catchphrases. These become part of her visual language, adding layers of meaning and humour.
Playfulness is central to her work. Through bold colour, sharp design elements and a sly sense of irony, she reflects on contemporary life and gently pokes fun at the quirks of human behaviour. The result is art that is bright, witty and impossible to ignore.
Candy is a graduate of the Dunedin School of Art, where she majored in printmaking and also studied Graphic Design at NMIT in Nelson.
Candy will be exhibiting at stop 37 in the 2025 KOAST Trail Guide.
