ARTIST'S BIOGRAPHY
Deborah Moss creates expressive and evocative artworks from her countryside studio in Wainui, North Auckland. Drawing inspiration from her dynamic rural surroundings, she captures the interplay between the natural world and her inner vision through energetic gestures, poetic expressions, and storytelling. Her work reveals a powerful alchemy of forces—blending the energy of the environment with a deeply personal artistic voice.
Deborah's process-driven approach to painting is a sensory journey that invites the work to evolve organically. Rich layers of paint and spontaneous responses to the surface drive each piece forward, creating a unique exploration of materials and texture.
After completing a Bachelor of Arts with a double major in English and Sociology, followed by an MA (Hons) in Sociology from the University of Auckland, Deborah worked as a journalist and later as the Director of a Fine Art gallery in Auckland. Her desire to deepen her own artistic practice led her to complete several art education programs, including the Creative Visionary Mentoring Program with renowned artist and teacher Nicholas Wilton (USA, 2018/2019).
The artist's work has been exhibited regularly in New Zealand and Australia and is held in private collections worldwide. Notable accolades include being named the supreme winner of the 2022 Craigs Investment Partners Prize (Wanaka) and being a finalist in several prestigious national art awards, including: the 2025 Molly Morpeth Canaday Award (Whakatāne), the 2022 National Contemporary Art Award (Waikato Museum), the Parkin Drawing Prize (Wellington, 2022), and the Walker & Hall Waiheke 2-D Art Awards (2020-2023).
Deborah is also passionate about environmental conservation. Through her “Planting Hope” initiative, she plants a native tree on her rural property for every original artwork sold, contributing to the restoration of New Zealand’s natural landscape.
Full list of awards below.
RECENT ART EDUCATION
Exploring abstraction - online course with US-based abstract artist and teacher Jenny Nelson. 2020.
Perfectly Imperfect - discovering your visual language online 12-week programme with multi-media Australian artist and teacher Lorna Crane. 2020.
May 2020 – Graduate of The Artist's Mindset : Group Coaching Program offered by Insight Creative Coaching. This 12-week intensive online Programme focuses on the development of mindset skills and practices that strengthen and deepen an artist's ability to envision and create their art.
Graduate of the "Creative Visionary Mentoring Program" facilitated by established artist and art teacher Nicholas Wilton (USA), 2018/2019.
AWARDS & PRIZES
Finalist Molly Morpeth Canaday Award 2025, Te Kōputu a te Whanga a Toi - Whakatāne Library and Exhibition Centre, Whakatāne, Feb 2 - March 22, 2025.
Finalist Walker & Hall Waiheke Art Award 2023, Waiheke Community Art Gallery, Oct 27 - Dec 10, 2023.
Finalist Parkin Drawing Prize 2022, The New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts, Wellington,
August 2 - September 11, 2022.
Finalist National Contemporary Art Award, Waikato Museum Te Whare Taonga o Waikato, Hamilton, August 6 - November 13, 2022.
Supreme Winner 2022 Craigs Investment Partners Prize, Holy Family Catholic School, Wanaka,
January 15 - 18, 2022.
Finalist Walker & Hall Waiheke 2-D Art Award, Waiheke Community Art Gallery, November, 2021.
Finalist Walker & Hall Waiheke 2-D Art Award, Waiheke Community Art Gallery, October, 2020.
Finalist The New Zealand Painting and Printmaking Award, The Atrium, Wintec, Hamilton, October 2020.
Finalist Craigs Aspiring Art Prize, Holy Family Catholic School, Wanaka, January 10 - 14, 2020.
Finalist Members' Merit Exhibition & Awards 2017; Lake House Arts, Takapuna, Auckland.
Finalist Fieldays No. 8 Wire National Art Award, ArtsPost/Waikato Museum, 2016.
AFFILIATIONS
Member of The Eco-Artists' Directory - The Visionary Projects (a multi-media contemporary art platform and community inspired by consciously-driven projects), NYC • Berlin • Vienna
PUBLICATIONS/PUBLICITY
Review "Tracks and Traces, Deborah Moss", by Laura Elliott, Art Seen Otago Daily Times, Oct 24, 2024.
New & Abstract Art Radar artist interview series 'Five questions to Deborah Moss'.
Review "Happenstance: Tales From New Land, Deborah Moss" by Laura Elliott, Art Seen Otago daily Times, December 1, 2022.
Artist profile: 'Second Nature: Deborah Moss is called to translate what she sees outside into abstract art". Homestyle Magazine, Oct/Nov issue, 2022.
Active observations - online interview with Aesthetica Magazine, February 1, 2022.
'Glowing Again wins grand prize at art awards' by Marjorie Cook, Otago Daily Times, January 17, 2022.
'Glow up' article highlighting Craig's Investment Partners Prize painting, Style Magazine, February 2022.
'Auckland Artist Takes Supreme Award At Craigs Aspiring Art Prize in Wanaka', Scoop Regional Independent News, January 16, 2022.
Artwork featured as murals in hotel rooms of The Central Hotel by Naumi Hotels, Queenstown, New Zealand. A collaboration with Undercurrent Studio (Wanaka).
The Hotel Conversation: 'Creative and Cool: The Central by Naumi Hotels, Queenstown, New Zealand'. April 5, 2021
'Avoiding Enfeeblement' - a review of The New Zealand Painting and Printmaking Award 2020 by Peter Dornauf, EyeContact (October 10, 2020).
Featured in favourite new works selected by Saatchi Art’s Chief Curator Rebecca Wilson, January 2019.
Stir creativity - a review of the 'Mixology event' at Comet Project Space by Jodi Meadows, 2019.
Featured Natural curiosities: Inspired by the Outdoors’ on-line collection curated by Victoria Kennedy, Associate Curator at Saatchi Art, 2019
Art Edit Australian magazine (Winter issue) 2019 "Love it - ones to watch" feature.
Featured artist interview in Creative Ripple Magazine (NZ); January, 2018.
Guest blogger Parkin Drawing Prize website, April 17, 2017.
Māori Television - Interview on Māori News January 20, 2016 discussing sculpture in the Under Kaipara Skies 2016 sculpture exhibition featuring NZ and international artists at Kaipara Coast Sculpture Gardens, Auckland.
Artist Interview, Quirky Fox Gallery, Hawera (Taranaki), September 2016.
(wo)manpower - Interviews with 10 New Zealand women who are leading creative lives, following their dreams and inspiring others every day. Zine edited by ZR Southcombe, First edition November 2015.
Deborah Moss creates expressive and evocative artworks from her countryside studio in Wainui, North Auckland. Drawing inspiration from her dynamic rural surroundings, she captures the interplay between the natural world and her inner vision through energetic gestures, poetic expressions, and storytelling. Her work reveals a powerful alchemy of forces—blending the energy of the environment with a deeply personal artistic voice.
Deborah's process-driven approach to painting is a sensory journey that invites the work to evolve organically. Rich layers of paint and spontaneous responses to the surface drive each piece forward, creating a unique exploration of materials and texture.
After completing a Bachelor of Arts with a double major in English and Sociology, followed by an MA (Hons) in Sociology from the University of Auckland, Deborah worked as a journalist and later as the Director of a Fine Art gallery in Auckland. Her desire to deepen her own artistic practice led her to complete several art education programs, including the Creative Visionary Mentoring Program with renowned artist and teacher Nicholas Wilton (USA, 2018/2019).
The artist's work has been exhibited regularly in New Zealand and Australia and is held in private collections worldwide. Notable accolades include being named the supreme winner of the 2022 Craigs Investment Partners Prize (Wanaka) and being a finalist in several prestigious national art awards, including: the 2025 Molly Morpeth Canaday Award (Whakatāne), the 2022 National Contemporary Art Award (Waikato Museum), the Parkin Drawing Prize (Wellington, 2022), and the Walker & Hall Waiheke 2-D Art Awards (2020-2023).
Deborah is also passionate about environmental conservation. Through her “Planting Hope” initiative, she plants a native tree on her rural property for every original artwork sold, contributing to the restoration of New Zealand’s natural landscape.
Full list of awards below.
RECENT ART EDUCATION
Exploring abstraction - online course with US-based abstract artist and teacher Jenny Nelson. 2020.
Perfectly Imperfect - discovering your visual language online 12-week programme with multi-media Australian artist and teacher Lorna Crane. 2020.
May 2020 – Graduate of The Artist's Mindset : Group Coaching Program offered by Insight Creative Coaching. This 12-week intensive online Programme focuses on the development of mindset skills and practices that strengthen and deepen an artist's ability to envision and create their art.
Graduate of the "Creative Visionary Mentoring Program" facilitated by established artist and art teacher Nicholas Wilton (USA), 2018/2019.
AWARDS & PRIZES
Finalist Molly Morpeth Canaday Award 2025, Te Kōputu a te Whanga a Toi - Whakatāne Library and Exhibition Centre, Whakatāne, Feb 2 - March 22, 2025.
Finalist Walker & Hall Waiheke Art Award 2023, Waiheke Community Art Gallery, Oct 27 - Dec 10, 2023.
Finalist Parkin Drawing Prize 2022, The New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts, Wellington,
August 2 - September 11, 2022.
Finalist National Contemporary Art Award, Waikato Museum Te Whare Taonga o Waikato, Hamilton, August 6 - November 13, 2022.
Supreme Winner 2022 Craigs Investment Partners Prize, Holy Family Catholic School, Wanaka,
January 15 - 18, 2022.
Finalist Walker & Hall Waiheke 2-D Art Award, Waiheke Community Art Gallery, November, 2021.
Finalist Walker & Hall Waiheke 2-D Art Award, Waiheke Community Art Gallery, October, 2020.
Finalist The New Zealand Painting and Printmaking Award, The Atrium, Wintec, Hamilton, October 2020.
Finalist Craigs Aspiring Art Prize, Holy Family Catholic School, Wanaka, January 10 - 14, 2020.
Finalist Members' Merit Exhibition & Awards 2017; Lake House Arts, Takapuna, Auckland.
Finalist Fieldays No. 8 Wire National Art Award, ArtsPost/Waikato Museum, 2016.
AFFILIATIONS
Member of The Eco-Artists' Directory - The Visionary Projects (a multi-media contemporary art platform and community inspired by consciously-driven projects), NYC • Berlin • Vienna
PUBLICATIONS/PUBLICITY
Review "Tracks and Traces, Deborah Moss", by Laura Elliott, Art Seen Otago Daily Times, Oct 24, 2024.
New & Abstract Art Radar artist interview series 'Five questions to Deborah Moss'.
Review "Happenstance: Tales From New Land, Deborah Moss" by Laura Elliott, Art Seen Otago daily Times, December 1, 2022.
Artist profile: 'Second Nature: Deborah Moss is called to translate what she sees outside into abstract art". Homestyle Magazine, Oct/Nov issue, 2022.
Active observations - online interview with Aesthetica Magazine, February 1, 2022.
'Glowing Again wins grand prize at art awards' by Marjorie Cook, Otago Daily Times, January 17, 2022.
'Glow up' article highlighting Craig's Investment Partners Prize painting, Style Magazine, February 2022.
'Auckland Artist Takes Supreme Award At Craigs Aspiring Art Prize in Wanaka', Scoop Regional Independent News, January 16, 2022.
Artwork featured as murals in hotel rooms of The Central Hotel by Naumi Hotels, Queenstown, New Zealand. A collaboration with Undercurrent Studio (Wanaka).
The Hotel Conversation: 'Creative and Cool: The Central by Naumi Hotels, Queenstown, New Zealand'. April 5, 2021
'Avoiding Enfeeblement' - a review of The New Zealand Painting and Printmaking Award 2020 by Peter Dornauf, EyeContact (October 10, 2020).
Featured in favourite new works selected by Saatchi Art’s Chief Curator Rebecca Wilson, January 2019.
Stir creativity - a review of the 'Mixology event' at Comet Project Space by Jodi Meadows, 2019.
Featured Natural curiosities: Inspired by the Outdoors’ on-line collection curated by Victoria Kennedy, Associate Curator at Saatchi Art, 2019
Art Edit Australian magazine (Winter issue) 2019 "Love it - ones to watch" feature.
Featured artist interview in Creative Ripple Magazine (NZ); January, 2018.
Guest blogger Parkin Drawing Prize website, April 17, 2017.
Māori Television - Interview on Māori News January 20, 2016 discussing sculpture in the Under Kaipara Skies 2016 sculpture exhibition featuring NZ and international artists at Kaipara Coast Sculpture Gardens, Auckland.
Artist Interview, Quirky Fox Gallery, Hawera (Taranaki), September 2016.
(wo)manpower - Interviews with 10 New Zealand women who are leading creative lives, following their dreams and inspiring others every day. Zine edited by ZR Southcombe, First edition November 2015.