A Short Biography
Merrilyn George is an award-winning, contemporary artist, working with fibre, and any other means possible to tell a story. Her mostly narrative work is influenced by events in history, Māori art and the rich mountain environment in which she lives. She is passionate about history of the area (published Ohakune-Opening to a New World in 1990), teaching and learning, and care of the environment. Merrilyn has exhibited and taught, nationally and internationally, and her work is in collections world-wide. She has had works and articles featured in Whanganui Chronicle, NZ Herald, Quilters Newsletter, Quilters Companion, Down Under Quilts, Fabricate, Quilting Arts, NZ Quilter, Stitch, and Quilts around the World. As an experienced teacher of almost 60 years, Merrilyn loves teaching workshops in. book making, collage and art quilts. She will help students to draw from their environment and experience, to create works that bring the artist’s own voice, while teaching her signature techniques of printing, botanical dyeing, rusting, mark making,gelli printing, quilting, and surface decoration. Merrilyn was recently awarded a Queen’s Service Medal for services to education and the community of the central North Island Ruapehu District.

Merrilyn My art Journey,

I was a bush child, with my earliest years spent in Horopito on the edge of Tongariro National Park. We played among the trees, amidst a bat colony, crayfishing in the stream, and using fallen logs as our playthings. That early experience, the love of the mountain, of nature, of the bush and the freedom to be a child has informed my art practice.

Growing up among Māori communities of Minginui Forest, Murupara and Ohakune, I was encouraged in my art practice, enjoying success at school and in teaching. Despite teaching full time for many years, I always created in various forms of fibre art and crafts, painting, and clothes and doll making in my spare time, as well as preparing kapahaka uniforms and school productions and art work both at Ruapehu College and Hato Paora College in Cheltenham near Feilding.

I have always learned much from teaching young people. My interest in history took a lot of my spare time for 12 years until the Ohakune history book was published in 1990, and
the experience of collecting stories has helped and informed the narratives expressed in fabric and collage.

Thirty years ago I stumbled upon the art quilting movement growing in New Zealand. Traditional quilting did not excite me, but using the medium to tell a story did. I have not always had a lot of space to create larger works, but I make do. I wouldn’t think to make any excuses for not making art Back then, there seemed to be a lot of snobbery in the art world, and closed minds to art that is different. We talked about ‘the quilt police’. I am hopeful that has changed somewhat. My first exhibited fabric art was inspired by our mountain eruptions, looking through a framed wharepuni.

"Despite my experienced neighbour telling me my work wasn’t good enough or the type of work to enter a national juried exhibition, I did it anyway, and won Best Wall Quilt and a few other awards. So don’t be put off by negative comments, from people with a different view".

Since then I have taught classes and taken workshops nationally and internationally, so that I can keep learning and doing what I enjoy. I have shared my expertise with college students teaching Textiles at Ruapehu College, until I retired in 2015. Over time I have kept journals with art ideas and thoughts, and find these useful for recall and inspiration. In our retirement home we included a small gallery to share art work with the community. I also have an extensive written archives with notes and photographs of local history.

In 2014 I completed and opened an exhibition ‘Set Apart” based on the extraordinary faith life of Mother Mary Joseph, Venerable Suzanne Aubert, superior of the Daughters of Our Lady of Compassion. The exhibition travelled the country up until Covid 19 took us into Isolation. I took part of this exhibition to Great Britain, Europe, and the Emirates during 2018 while following in Suzanne’s footsteps, The following year I was invited and accepted to represent New Zealand as part of a teaching group to Ailsa Craig in Ontario Canada, during the week New Zealand Quilts were being showcased to Canada. Covid changed the world somewhat, but I enjoyed the opportunity to create without interruption.

Merrilyn George is an award-winning, contemporary artist, working with fibre, and any other means possible to tell a story. Her mostly narrative work is influenced by events in history, Māori art and the rich mountain environment in which she lives. She is passionate about history of the area (published Ohakune-Opening to a New World in 1990),

Merrilyn George

The internet became the place to do on-line learning and the art world has taken it seriously. I presented a workshop to a virtual conference for SAQA/Studio Art Quilts Association, an international group with headquarters in USA. I will be teaching at the National Quilting Symposium, in person for five days in October. I have travelled less in recent times, enjoying more time in one of my happy places- in my workroom, creating art work, mostly from recycled materials. I am basing my present work on the Mangawhero River, it’s sounds and environment. The bush was my cradle, it is now my sanctuary. Merrilyn George, July 2024