Artist Spotlight: Anna Weston

This past weekend I flew to Brisbane to attend an honours graduation exhibition at the Queensland College of Art and Design. The artist was my friend, Anna Weston, and it was special to be there in person to support her and see the work presented in a thoughtful space.

Anna and I met in Fernie over a decade ago. We were both living there at the same time, and we became friends in that easy way where creativity finds familiarity. Life took us in different directions. Anna moved back to Australia and I returned to New Zealand. We have stayed in touch over the years, checking in, sharing small creative milestones, and encouraging each other through the seasons.

Her exhibition, titled What She Said, explores women's embodied agency. It looks closely at the ways women express, speak, act, and move through the world. For this project, Anna interviewed eight women over Zoom about how they experience agency in their own lives. I was one of the eight. Being part of that conversation felt reflective and grounding. Having someone listen with such care is memorable.

From those interviews, Anna painted each woman mid-communication, capturing gesture, expression, and the subtle shifts that happen when thoughts are forming. The paintings hold movement and presence, as if the dialogue is still unfolding. A small monitor in the gallery played portions of the original interviews, connecting the painted expressions back to real voices.

I stayed with my cousin while I was there, and before the exhibition we met up with Anna, her partner, and her parents for dinner. It was warm and easy and helped the night feel connected. Being able to see the work after sharing that time together added something personal to the experience.

It has been meaningful to watch Anna continue to develop her art practice over the years. Seeing her take this step, study deeply, and create a body of work with such intention felt really good.

It was a short trip, just one night, but full in the right ways. A reminder that creative friendships can span place and time, and that showing up in person can matter more than the length of the visit.

You can view Anna’s artwork from this exhibition at annaweston.com.au/whatshesaid