Ros Lowrey is a Mount Eden–based painter whose richly layered works weave together personal memory, historic references, and native birdlife. Originally from London, Ros studied Textiles and Teaching at Birmingham University before moving to Aotearoa, where she spent many years teaching art and design in Auckland. Today, she works as a full-time artist — and remains closely connected to The Upstairs Gallery, where she held a successful solo exhibition in early 2025.

Her artistic journey began in childhood, often painting alongside her father and covering the family dining table with her latest creations. Over the years, she’s explored everything from greeting card illustration and porcelain nightlight design to pottery and jewellery making, with work held in the Brighton Museum in the UK and exhibited widely across New Zealand and abroad.

Ros began as a watercolourist but has developed a deep love for oils, embracing self-taught techniques and digital experimentation. Her still-life compositions often carry social commentary on Aotearoa’s colonial history, referencing endangered bird species, found objects, and historic places.

For Ros, painting is as natural as breathing. “I simply can’t stop creating,” she says. A quote by Andrew Wyeth captures her process perfectly: “I dream a lot. I do more painting when I'm not painting. It's in the subconscious.” Ideas are always forming — quietly, constantly — even when the brush is at rest.