A TREE STORY: Josh Lancaster Returns Home With New Cornwall Park Exhibition At Turua Gallery

Turua Gallery is proud to present A TREE STORY; Portraits of Cornwall Park - a major solo exhibition by celebrated New Zealand painter Josh Lancaster, opening November 2025.

Lancaster, who grew up in Auckland and is now based in Havelock North, brings ten new large-scale works to Auckland, each centred on the trees of Cornwall Park — timeless landmarks that hold a collective memory for generations of New Zealanders.

‘’These trees, familiar and well-loved, evoke memories of a simpler time. As a child, I explored Cornwall Park's sprawling roots and picnicked under its iconic trees. As an adult, I've come to appreciate their reassuring presence and the stories they tell. My paintings aim to capture the geography of the heart – places that define us and connect us through shared memories.’’ Lancaster says.

“This show is a rambling exploration of Cornwall Park and its woodier residents. Universally, each spot in the park has a plethora of memories — birthdays, picnics, BMX rides, first dates. Trees are where we gravitate, and they become containers for our stories. For me, they represent continuity, reassurance, and connection, even as the world changes so quickly around us.”

The exhibition is designed to emulate a walk through the park — some paths familiar, others detoured by curiosity. While many of the works depict Cornwall Park’s most iconic trees — such as the grand Moreton Bay figs, Pohutukawa near the Tea Rooms, and Sir John Logan Campbell’s historic plantings — others feature weathered or even dead trees. “Even the fallen trees are like sculptures,” Lancaster says. “We played in them as kids, and for some families they even mark birthdays or anniversaries. They’re reminders that nothing lasts forever, but also that meaning can be found in the everyday.”

A personal and professional milestone
For Lancaster, A TREE STORY; Portraits of Cornwall Park, is more than a return to Auckland — it’s a homecoming. “I grew up here, and every time I come back, I see the city differently. Distance has given me a new perspective, but Auckland will always be home. Turua Gallery has been patiently waiting for this show, and I’m incredibly excited to finally share it with Aucklanders.”

The exhibition also celebrates Lancaster’s 10 years of full-time painting, following over a decade-long career in advertising. “Advertising was about Kiwi identity and storytelling, so in a way, I’m still doing the same thing — painting portraits of places that represent who we are, and where we belong. The big difference is the joy that painting gives me.”

Known for his evocative landscapes, Lancaster often describes his works as “portraits of places” — beacons for personal and collective memory. “I want people to stand in front of these paintings and be instantly taken back. Before you even think about it, you can see it, smell it. The scene is like an empty stage where you can place your own memories. That’s what success looks like for me — not sales, but connection.”

Process & practice
Though his subjects are drawn from real places, Lancaster doesn’t paint on site. Instead, he takes thousands of photographs and paints them into what he calls “the ideal memory of that place.” He paints mainly at night in his Havelock North studio — balancing fatherhood with his creative practice — and pours months of work into each canvas.

“There’s a lot of blood, sweat and tears in each painting. They take time, and that time matters. It’s about meeting with the painting and working out what is and isn’t working until the connection is right. That’s what makes the process so personal.”

When not painting, Lancaster can be found in his garden, planting native seedlings with his three sons. “It’s the same satisfaction I get from painting — contributing something that will hopefully last, even if I don’t get to see it at its full potential. Like Sir John Logan Campbell, who planted most of Cornwall Park’s trees knowing he’d never see them mature, it’s about vision, contribution, and legacy.”

Next chapters
Lancaster’s exhibitions have consistently sold out, with waitlists for commissions now stretching three to four years. After A TREE STORY, he will present another solo exhibition in Dunedin in 2026.

But for now, he says, the focus is on Auckland. “This show is about home. It’s about the trees we grew up with, the places we picnicked, and the roots that connect us. It’s my love letter to Auckland.”

Exhibition Details: Josh Lancaster: A TREE STORY; Portraits of Cornwall Park

Presale: By appointment, Thursday 13 November and Friday 14 November

• Opening: 5pm, Friday, 14 November
• Exhibition Dates: 14-26 November

Location: Turua Gallery, 10a Turua Street, St Heliers, Auckland

Link: https://turuagallery.co.nz/collections/a-tree-story-portraits-of-cornwall-park

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