Bio
Visual Artist
Born: Scotland, 1985
Arrived in New Zealand: 2007
Born in Paisley, 1985, his family lived in Bridge of Weir and Houston, Renfrewshire, Scotland, before moving to Aotearoa | New Zealand, 2007, and settling in Kirikiriroa | Hamilton. McClure studied at the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art (sequential narrative) before studying Media Arts (visual arts) at the Waikato Institute of Technology, graduating with a Bachelor in Media Arts with Honours.
McClure is a contemporary visual artist who has studied and works in a variety of creative fields. His artistic career in Waikato has spanned over a decade and largely in support of other artists. He is a doodler, painter, illustrator, muralist, curator, festival director and project manager. McClure uniquely employs an amalgamation of illustration with contemporary painting engaging an ethereal undercurrent of symbol and storytelling in his artwork.
Whilst identity, science fiction, popular culture, technology, and collective consciousness have been source material for his political and at times deeply personal works, 2016 revealed a shift in his practice to include installation and collaboration projects including sound design, sculptures and theatrical lighting.
McClure’s work has been exhibited in New Zealand and overseas, many of his works are included in both private and public collections.
Craig McClure is the Director of Magic Darts Limited, a Creative Company for creating exhibitions, projects and murals. He currently works in The Lighthouse, a painting studio space in Kirikiriroa | Hamilton.
“I find it natural and even crucial to my health to enter this world in drawing and in it I have discovered a way of life I could never have been taught. It is a world of my own making; it is so close to me I become entangled in the sometimes agonising development of images. It takes some time before I see it with any decent perspective.”
Education
2013 | Bachelor of Media Arts: Honours, Waikato Institute of Technology
2008 - 2010 | Bachelor of Media Arts, Waikato Institute of Technology
2005 | Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art
Awards
2015: Rotorua Art Awards Finalist
2011: Gordon Harris Award for Excellence in Contemporary Art
Collections
Waikato Museum Collection
Wallace Arts Trust Collection
Waikato University Collection
WINTEC Collection
multiple private collections
Exhibitions
S - solo
C - CC - curated - co curated
2020: Flip!, Grant Jack Studio, Cambridge, New Zealand
2020: untitled, Scotts Epicurean, Hamilton, New Zealand S
2020: Mesoverse, Victoria on the River, Hamilton, New Zealand
2020: Shadowlands, Nancy Caiger Gallery, Hamilton, New Zealand
2019: Plumbum, Nancy Caiger Gallery, Hamilton, New Zealand S
2018: An un-raiment, Freit Contemporary, Hamilton, New Zealand S
2018: Nau mai, Weasel Gallery, Hamilton, New Zealand
2017: Human Era, Zeus Gallery, Tauranga, New Zealand
2017: Human Era, HOLM , Auckland, New Zealand S
2016: Atlas, Wallace Gallery Morrinsville, Morrinsville, New Zealand S
2016: Fleshbag, Skinroom Gallery, Hamilton, New Zealand
2016: Blackhole, Skinroom Gallery, Hamilton, New Zealand
2016: True Crime, Skinroom Gallery, Hamilton, New Zealand
2016: Katharsis, Calder and Lawson Gallery (Waikato Uni), Hamilton, New Zealand CC
2016: True Crime, Skinroom, Hamilton, New Zealand
2016: From the Studio Floor, Hamilton, New Zealand
2016: Atlas, Tauranga Public Art Gallery, Tauranga, New Zealand S
2015: Out of Order, Calder and Lawson Gallery (Waikato Uni), Hamilton, New Zealand CC
2015: New Works - New Walls, (group) Zeus Gallery, Tauranga, New Zealand CC
2014: Assault on Art Precinct 13, (group) RAMP Gallery, Hamilton, New Zealand CC
2014: Wording as Drawing, (group) Pop up exhibition, New York City, USA CC
2014: Puddles of Men, (solo) The Alcove, Hamilton, New Zealand S
2014: Hamilton Gardens Art Festival, (group) Hamilton gardens, Hamilton, New Zealand C
2013: Troubled Souls: Wild West Show, (group) draw inc. Hamilton, New Zealand C
2013: Hamilton Fringe Festival Showcase, (group) The Arcade, Hamilton, New Zealand
2013: Pushing Up Pixels, 111 Art Auction, (solo) Tauranga, New Zealand
2013: Eejits and Gentlemen: Party Time!, (solo) Zeus Gallery, Tauranga, New Zealand S
2013: Eejits and Gentlemen: Party Time!, (solo) The Framing Workshop, Hamilton, New Zealand S
2013: Civilia, (group) RAMP Gallery, Hamilton, New Zealand, Curated by Kim Paton
2012: Call and Response, (group) Waitakaruru Sculpture Park, Tauwhare, New Zealand, Curated by Kim Paton
2012: On Your Marks, (group) draw inc., Hamilton New Zealand CC
2012: 40 Winks, (group) draw inc., Hamilton, New Zealand C
2011: Beards, Balloons and Thousands of Leagues, (group) draw inc., Hamilton, New Zealand C
2011: Under the Ivory Tower, (group) draw inc., Hamilton New Zealand CC
2011: The Affordable Art Showcase, (group) draw inc., Hamilton, New Zealand CC
2010: The Hunted, (group) Wintec Media Arts Showcase, Hamilton, New Zealand
Publications
2017: Eye Contact Article
2016: Artist Alliance Interview
2014: Riff Raff Magazine issue 7
2013: Riff Raff Magazine issue 6
2011: Riff Raff Magazine issue 4
2011: Threaded Magazine issue 10