Thickly-painted impasto works by leading symbolist artist Nigel Brown, highlight the impressionable nature of the human condition. And how cultural identity, imposed by our living environments, emotionally and physically affects us.

Many of his paintings and sculptures are politically charged: letterforms spell out headlines relating to man-made disasters and social injustices. Alternately, brightly coloured portraits and regional landscapes feature abstract symbolism – visual references to personal experiences, and New Zealand culture: Nigel Brown, Damaged landscape, oil on acrylic on board, 1990.