A French woman who settled in Christchurch in 1925, Louise Henderson was one of the first New Zealand artists to embrace a Modernist style.

Her painting career spanned seven decades and her work is characterised by a colourful perspective on life and nature. Louise became a pioneer of abstraction who remained intensely engaged with the world around her.

Having met her husband – a New Zealander – in her native Paris, Louise followed him to Christchuch in 1925. She studied at the Canterbury School of Art and went on to become a teacher at the institution while producing her famous works.

From watercolours of Canterbury landscapes to abstract still-lifes and Cubist nudes, the evolution of this Christchurch icon's artistic style is showcased here in the first major exhibition of her work. Louise Henderson: From Life takes visitors on an unforgettable journey through Louise's seven-decade career. Full of bold, colourful observations of life and nature, it includes 'The Twelve Months', her extraordinary late-career masterpiece.

The exhibition will run at the Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū until October 11.

christchurchartgallery.org.nz