This January, Queenstown’s winter spirit arrives early as acclaimed New Zealand figurative artist ILYA Volykhine unveils a brand-new solo exhibition at Artbay Gallery. Featuring ten new oil paintings, the exhibition plunges headfirst into the exhilarating, awkward, and joyful world of winter sports and après-ski culture. Volykhine’s distinctive figures elongated, expressive, and often slightly off-balance, populate snowy slopes, ice rinks, and post-ski social scenes, capturing both the thrill and the absurdity of alpine life.
Known for his richly layered surfaces, Ilya combines oil paint with collage elements, text fragments, and bold colour to create works that feel playful, human, and quietly narrative. Mid-air snowboarders shred while their fans look on, and bundled-up skiers gather in moments that feel both communal and introspective. These are not heroic sporting scenes, but honest, humorous reflections on movement and togetherness in winter landscapes.
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He and his family lived in Queenstown for two years, which makes the exhibition feel especially familiar, celebrating not just winter sport, but the culture that surrounds it: the anticipation, the falls, the laughter, and the stories shared afterwards.
Volykhine’s work is held in public and private collections internationally, and he is known for bringing warmth, humour, wit and emotional depth to everyday experiences. This latest body of work continues that approach, offering viewers a fresh, painterly take on snow-season rituals. This exhibition is a must-see for art lovers, winter enthusiasts, and anyone who’s ever clipped into skis full of optimism or limped into après with a story to tell.
103 x 103cm Oil and Mixed Media on Canvas
