Jan Nigro: a New Zealand artist

Jan Nigro is a New Zealand artist with an Italian surname, because her husband Gerry Nigro had an Italian background. She is a wonderful artist and she still likes to paint at the age of 90!!! I met her when I went to New Zealand for the first time more than 10 years ago and since then we like to spend time with her whenever it is possible and she is not too busy. 

this is Jan at Easter 2010

 my son drawing with Jan's colors on her table while she is signing one of her works

and Jan with my daughter and some of her works on the background

Some of Jan's artworks in her studio/apartment

A long time ago I have published a small article on her and her artworks on the NZ Art Monthly. This is a copy of the article:

A passion for life, art and artworks: Jan Nigro

November 2008

I met Jan for the first time about ten years ago when I came to New Zealand for a visit; unaware that this country was going to be my home one day.

Her passion, touch, work/life experience has always fascinated me. From the first time I visited her modern apartment in Takapuna - where she used a room as her studio to paint - I have been impressed by her approach to art; to the way she paints and the passion she puts into her representations, through the use of colour and images.

Jan has produced a huge amount of artworks during her lifetime. All of them are singular and touch different themes, but more than anything I believe she has a message to convey.

Probably because she is one of the first female New Zealand artists to break the rules and the role of women in the society of the time I thought it was important to express my acknowledgement to a person like her. Jan's experiments and passions have pushed other artists to try something new for themselves. Her life is so full of colour, her painting full of honesty and with such a large body of work devoted to the naked form - it is through this theme of her career that I have been able to recognise her as one of the most extraordinary New Zealand woman artists.

The human figure has been, and most probably continues to be, the greatest and the most important source of inspiration for Jan due to the fact she has revolutionized the way to look at a nude work as a theme to study and from which to learn.

In the late 1940s Jane moved to Australia with her husband Gerry, from whom she got the surname, Nigro, which is obviously of Italian origin. They spent a period of time in Melbourne, where she had her first solo woman exhibition.

The works of the late 1940s showed something new and brave for a provincial New Zealand mindset, which wasn't yet ready to accept female nudity and the consequences of such a subject choice. At that time New Zealand was a still a 'closed' country where perhaps some the sensual influences of European art hadn't yet arrived.

A new world was emerging for Jan as she developed her skills and displayed these early productions. Painting was her passion and probably the only job that could make her happy - even if she had to work through some difficult periods.

La Toilette was painted in 1949, and together with other works of hers are in the collection of international art galleries today, such as the National Gallery of Victoria and the Auckland Art Gallery. I don't know who this nameless woman in La Toilette was. The inspiration probably came from one of her models as happened in many other artworks during her lifetime. The woman represented looks to me like a confident woman caught in a moment of intimacy, pensive as she prepares for bathing.

And this was only the beginning of this type of theme, which has recurred through her career. She created many artworks related to the theme of the Bathers, including an exhibition of the late 1980s, which included Lovers and Bathers painted in 1986. It represents a stunning new example of painting, because here Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet are warmly showing their love in the foreground; in the middle ground two hot pink nude females embrace while behind them a group of people watch from afar while continuing on with their lives. Here is clearly stated the passion for the human form, their human condition and what love can be, without discrimination or critique. And what else can be said? The images speak for themselves - love can be shown in various ways.

In Jan's career the Friday Drawing Group became an important routine in her life: some of her models were Suzy, Veronica and Yani, who Jan depicted in 1989. In comparison to all of the other models this one seems more reserved, yet wants to model. In Yani there is vitality and audacity, sitting there posing for them, the group who draw on Fridays. Jan sees in her another strong woman, independently minded and naked but with no intention of showing off her attributes, these are secrets - kept only for the right person.

Obviously Jan has produced an extended selection of artworks during her career. Nevertheless in my personal opinion she has to be acknowledged and acclaimed for being a pioneer and an example to many other New Zealand women artists. Jan is someone who has always worked hard to demonstrate her abilities, beliefs and capacity to the prevaling society which has become increasingly won over to her viewpoint as her career has progressed.