Enter the bright and blooming beautiful world of Wānaka-based artist Agate Rubene
Latvian-born Agate Rubene was destined to be an artist. Her mother is an art school teacher and, from the age of three, she went to various art schools, including the Riga School of Design and Art in Latvia, where she majored in fashion design, before studying fashion and business in both Denmark and the Netherlands.
It was while on a working holiday in New Zealand in 2017 that she met her husband in Wānaka, and has lived there ever since creating her colourful art. Agate also sells her original art and prints on Shop Your Home and Garden.
Shop Agate’s works
‘Almost Touching’
$360 from Shop Your Home and Garden
‘Whisper’ (Limited Edition)
$309 from Shop Your Home and Garden
‘Dreamland’
$4510 from Shop Your Home and Garden
‘Rosé’ (Limited Edition)
$309 from Shop Your Home and Garden
‘Pink Trouble’
$3860 from Shop Your Home and Garden
Q&A with Agate
What did you do before becoming a full-time artist?
After I graduated from university, I worked as a graphic designer for several years while also starting a streetwear label using my hand-drawn illustrations as a base. In 2020, right at the beginning of Covid, I took a leap of faith and went back to painting full-time while also doing illustration work.
Where do the ideas come from and does your fashion background influence your work?
My current work is heavily influenced by fashion illustration, particularly in the way I draw faces and figures. There is a personal connection to my feelings and experiences as a woman. Most of my characters are female or gender-fluid. I am inspired by the people around me, our interactions, and patterns in nature. The female form is so curvy and fluid, and I love using bright colours to create my own alternative realities.
“I love bright colours to create my own alternative realities,” says Agate.
How do you describe your signature Agate Rubene look?
Feminine themes are prominent in my work, with female characters often at the centre of my paintings. Surrounded by vibrant, blooming flowers, these pieces reference personal growth, flourishing beauty, fertility, and self-love. My paintings are two-dimensional and brightly coloured, featuring a minimal palette, clean lines, and flat shapes. Colour is always the driving force.
What do you love most about your day job?
Being able to make a living from what I love doing the most is incredible. Knowing that someone sees my work, falls in love with it, and chooses to have it in their home is something I never take for granted. I also appreciate the flexibility my job offers. Now that I have a daughter and my time is more limited, I can work around her schedule.
Any drawbacks?
Inconsistent income is currently my biggest drawback. In the current economic downturn, it is difficult to make a consistent living solely from art, so I have created multiple income streams, including illustration work, prints and freelance graphic design. I have to create opportunities for myself if I want to make a living from it.
Being a full-time artist means I wear many hats: creator, promoter, photographer, record keeper, shipper, packer, marketer and more. Emotional vulnerability is another challenge I tend to struggle with. Creating art is a deeply personal and emotional process, making me more susceptible to criticism and rejection. I deal with self-doubt, which takes a toll on my mental health.
How long does a painting usually take?
It’s never a straightforward answer. Ideas and inspiration can come from anything, and as a creative, you’re never really off. I spend a lot of time writing down ideas, taking photos and playing with concepts before I even start painting. I never work on just one painting at a time; I work on two to five simultaneously, in a series. First, I do backgrounds all at once, then the next layers, and so on. With my time now limited before daycare pick-ups, I’ve created processes to be more time-efficient.
What does a typical day in the studio take?
I usually start by catching up on emails and filling orders before getting into painting. If I need to ship artworks, packaging can take up a few hours, as does marketing. There really is no typical day, which makes my job very dynamic and something I love. I’d say only 40 percent of my time is spent painting; the rest is dedicated to business admin, marketing, and creating opportunities for myself.
Proudest professional moment?
I can’t think of one single moment, but every time a collector chooses my work and hangs it in their home, it fuels me to create more. Also, people trusting me enough to commission a piece feels very special.
As a creative, Agate admits displaying her work in public is a deeply personal process and makes her more susceptible to criticism. “I deal with self-doubt, which takes a toll on my mental health.”
What are you working on at the moment?
Currently, I’m working towards a joint show with two other artists, Frankie Meaden and Sam Leitch, at Turua Gallery in St Heliers, Auckland, opening on 23 August, as well as my first solo exhibition in Wānaka at Cardrona Distillery, opening on 14 September.
Any plans to move into fashion more directly?
I’d love to collaborate with a fashion brand to create products together and do more commercial illustration projects. I think there’s so much power in collaboration and working together.
The artist, who used to have her own streetwear label that featured her hand drawings, is heavily influenced by fashion illustration.
Design aspirations?
I’d like to create art experiences. It would be cool to see my artwork on products, making them accessible to a wider audience and creating experiences that integrate my designs into everyday life. I’d also love to enter Australia’s art market and have a big, beautiful studio for myself. One of my dreams is to illustrate a book.
Text: Fiona Hawtin Photography: Michael Thomas
Shop Agate Rubene’s work on Shop Your Home and Garden
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