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QT Queenstown has pulled back the curtain to unveil a new exhibition in Gallery 6, showcasing and celebrating a stunning collection of works by mixed media contemporary artist Carrie Broomhall. Transforming the ‘gallery that never closes’ into a kaleidoscope of colour, COLOUR & LIGHT invites guests to immerse themselves in the captivating world of art, popping up in the space for a six-month residency.
Gallery 6 is a 12-meter-long gallery on level six of QT Queenstown, open to guests, diners, and the public. The space shines a spotlight on local New Zealand artists and their works, nestled amongst QT’s eclectic and designer surroundings. Renowned for her bright and joyful pieces, Broomhall is releasing COLOUR & LIGHT into the world in her first solo exhibition with a collection of original artworks created especially for the showcase.
COLOUR & LIGHT pulls inspiration from the Central Otago region, with a mix of abstract landscapes inspired by Queenstown, transporting you to a world of spaces imagined and remembered. The ruggedness and colour of the land is the focal point with each artwork depicting boundless energy balanced with profound meaning. This is intertwined with a series of mini works that are vibrant in colour and energy, reflective of the adventure-seeking undertone of the lakeside town.
Christchurch-based Carrie studied computer graphics and colour design at Otago University, despite receiving scholarship grades and entrance to Canterbury University School of Fine Arts. Enjoying a successful career in retail, her mid-twenties saw her spend three inspirational years living in France with her family where she rediscovered her love of colour and painting. Soaking up inspiration from fashion, interior design, and nature, coupled with her unlimited imagination, Carrie’s art embraces a multidisciplinary approach, celebrating her love affair with colour.
“I pour my heart into each of my works like my time is running out – there is a frantic energy to each of them, like an explosion of colourful expressionism. After facing my own mortality and living to tell the tale, I want the viewer to come on a transformative journey to feel the same beautiful enthusiasm I feel when I create each piece – a fragile and fleeting space, yet beautiful and untouched by constraint,” she says of the exhibition.
“I’m incredibly excited to share these pieces with QT Queenstown hotel guests and the local community in my first solo exhibition,” says Carrie.
“I’ve spent some time in Queenstown over the years; it’s such a beautiful, inspiring destination, and it’s been a creatively fulfilling experience to capture the unique vibe of the town within these works. I love linking indoor and outdoor environments together through art, and the flow of living in Queenstown epitomises that juxtaposition.”
Reds Bar embraces the spirit of art
Where creativity, art and spirits collide, Reds Bar has partnered with curious and delightfully unique gin brand Hendrick’s for a spring bar takeover that intertwines their creative brand spirit with the works of Carrie Broomhall.
QT Queenstown venues manager Marine Blanchard has crafted four cocktails inspired by Carrie’s artworks, each one a sip-able art piece in itself. Experimenting with colour and cocktail design, Reds’ cocktails show how art can be a source of inspiration and expressed through many different forms. All using Hendrick’s Gin, the selection includes:
Secret Garden which features a blend of rockmelon and raspberry, garnished with a raspberry rim, and topped with edible flowers.
Dreamscape III dazzles with hues of blue, yellow, and green, combining blue curaçao and lychee liqueur, and is topped with dehydrated lemon and kiwi.
The Kaikoura dominantly green, offers a refreshing mix of cucumber and lime, served on the rocks.
Finally, the stunning purple artwork Mauve Study is reimagined using butterfly pea-infused gin, Violette liqueur topped with lily path, banana leaves and flowers.
Reds Bar will also have a special offering of $2 oysters available from 2 – 6pm on Fridays and Saturdays when purchasing a cocktail inspired by Carrie’s work. The Spirit of Art will be popping up in Reds from November 7, 2024, until January 12, 2025.
“We’ve loved seeing how each artist transforms the blank canvas of Gallery 6 in their own unique way,” says QT Queenstown general manager Jeremy Black.
“Carrie is our third resident artist in the space and her work is like nothing we’ve had before – we’re excited to keep viewers on their toes and expect the unexpected. Art is a cornerstone of QT and we’re proud to be the official hotel partner of the New Zealand Arts Foundation. It’s a privilege to work with talented artists like Carrie to create a dialogue, connect with guests and inspire local viewers. It’s exciting to extend the touchpoints of her art into Reds Bar, mixing the art of painting with the art of cocktail making to create a new experience for diners.”
COLOUR & LIGHT will be exhibiting in Gallery 6 until April 2025. The exhibition is open to both hotel guests and the public to explore, with all artworks available to purchase.
