In this interview, Nigel tells us about his life as an artist working in the centre of Clyde’s heritage precinct. His studio is ideally positioned for people to call in while appreciating the town’s history and the majestic hills surrounding it.
Nigel outlines his education and training at the Ilam School of Fine Arts, his teaching career, and the leap he made to follow his passion and become a full-time professional artist. His paintings reveal the Central Otago landscape in a raw, vital manner. Nigel explains the influence that Toss Woollaston had on his bold, gutsy style, and how his style and painting techniques have evolved over time.
Nigel is humble about the awards he has received, simply describing them as ‘numerous’. He speaks enthusiastically about his membership of Indigo, a collaboration of eight Central Otago artists who often mount group exhibitions of their work.
The interview concludes with Nigel considering what ‘art’ is: an emotional response to the world around us, something that is not right or wrong, but which sustains and uplifts us.
Interviewer: Bernadette Lanham
Interview Dates: June 2025
Nigel Wilson in his studio
Nigel Wilson painting class, 2024
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