Sierra Roberts from Wānaka, New Zealand, creates bold, statement portraits celebrating differing perceptions of beauty. 

 Sierra spent the past ten years exploring the world with a strong emphasis on the outdoors, particularly alpine environments, spending the majority of her time in the Wasatch Mountains, Himalayas, Andes and Alaska Range prior to beginning full-time studio practice in mid-2019. Her travels through Australia, Asia, South, Central and Northern America have strongly influenced her art, inspiring her to share and celebrate the beauty she has experienced and has challenged her work beyond the traditional ideal of portraiture.

Sierra’s work is exhibited both nationally and internationally, becoming a finalist in the prestigious Biennial Adam’s Portrait Award and achieving her first sold-out solo exhibition in July 2020. 

"Wānaka-based artist Sierra Roberts centres her practice around perceptions of beauty and the female experience. Celebrating differences and finding ways to establish aspects of similarity, Sierra firmly believes that we are all connected.

Her personal travels and life experiences have taken her from the temples of Nepal to exploring the altiplano regions of the Andes to working in the Alaska Ranges. Sierra illustrates her fascination with the female experience across all cultures using her highly technical skill.

Often portraying her subjects with glassy eyes, her portraits reveal a sensitivity to the emotions of the people she captures in paint. The identity of the subject and the reflection in the eyes is up to the beholder. Her highly colourful works in acrylic paint aim to push the possibilities and acceptance of the medium.

Sierra’s works are exhibited both nationally and internationally and have earned her a finalist position in the prestigious Biennial Adam’s Portrait Award and a Merit in the Tasman National Art awards, selling out her solo show in July 2020."

- 2021 Art Edit Magazine
Rosey Leake