BIO
Kate Cox is an abstract painter whose vibrant, expressive works are shaped by a life lived close to the coast. Raised in Auckland’s seaside suburbs, she now lives in a 100-year-old villa in Kerikeri, in the heart of the Bay of Islands, where she balances family life with a full-time studio practice. With a background in commercial interiors and a Bachelor of Design, Kate refined her visual language through fine art courses and mentoring before shifting her focus fully to painting.
Best known for her large-scale abstract landscapes in acrylics, oils, and pastels, Kate has been recognised as a finalist in both the Walker & Hall Waiheke Art Award and the Estuary Art and Ecology Award.
Kate’s work draws from memory, emotion, and the natural world. “Over time, I’ve come to realise that my visual language is deeply rooted in landscape,” she says. “The views, memories of place, and shifting play of light often surface as metaphors for an inner emotional terrain.” Her latest body of work gestures toward a simpler, more supportive environment—one that reflects and embraces the nuances of neurodiversity. Each painting unfolds slowly, intuitively, marking a quiet journey toward self-acceptance and contentment.
