Judi Bagust is a contemporary New Zealand painter whose work is deeply rooted in heritage, environment, and gestural mark making. Coming from a lineage of artists spanning five generations, she continues a family tradition of creative expression. Her grandfather, Charles Bryant, was recognised for his oil painting Whanganui River at the 1925 New Zealand & South Seas Exhibition, an artistic milestone echoed a century later by her granddaughter achieving a Bachelor of Visual Arts in painting from The Dunedin School of Art (2025).

Earning a Master of Fine Arts from Whitecliffe College in 2013, Judi’s work is characterised by dynamic ink gestures exploring movement, place, and rhythm. A poetry workshop with Anthony Joseph at the Auckland Writers Festival sparked a new phase in her practice, merging sonnet writing with painting to create a visually poetic series. Her ability to translate emotion into fluid compositions is exemplified in her large scale ink commission for The Auckland Abstract Hotel’s Blue Room. Connection to land and water remains central to her work; unable to visit her ancestral river, Te Hoiere-Pelorus, in 2020-2021, she layered colour over earlier black and white river marks, creating a striking three dimensional effect. This exploration of place extends to her Native Bird Flight series, inspired by New Zealand birdlife. Judi’s artistic journey also includes cultural engagement and learning, notably studying Te Reo Maori at Te Wananga o Aotearoa (2018-2019), enriching the depth of her work. She has collaborated on major commissions, including a 4.5 meter ink drawing for Paska Dining Room at Auckland’s Naumi Hotel, which was later recognized by Forbes as one of the top ten airport hotels worldwide.

Judi’s exploration of gestural mark making has been influenced by the mentorship and workshops of friend and artist Max Gimblett, his practice of gesture and personal encouragement was influential in the distinctive style she developed during her fine arts degree at Whitecliffe. This was followed by two solo exhibitons, Ipseity – Essence: The Interior Being of Self at Auckland Exhibitions Gallery in 2014 and The Inbetween at Wellington Exhibitions Gallery in 2015.

Growing up in Waitohi/Picton, Judi’s deep connection to Te Waipounamu, the South Island, and the waters of Te Hoiere-Pelorus remain an enduring influence in her work. She relates deeply to the whakatauki of Whanganui iwi, Ngati Haua, ‘Ko au te awa, ko te awa ko au’ / I am the river and the river is me. This proverb speaks to the essence of her artistic philosophy, the way she channels herself and place as inseparable though movement and mark making.

A finalist in eight national art competitions, including The Parkin Drawing Prize and Molly Morpeth Canaday Art Award, Judi’s work continues to be exhibited, collected, and commissioned, demonstrating her lifelong dedication to artistic inquiry.