Night Watch 

Helen Bankers

Railway Street Studios 
8 Railway St, Newmarket

14 May - 9 June 2020

Part of the Auckland Festival of Photography

“Flowers and I have a love story”

Helen Bankers family is originally from the Netherlands and is influenced culturally by the Dutch Golden Age and Renaissance painters. She feels very close to this aesthetic naturally and her artistic work draws a lot from this influence. You can feel her passion for Dutch Masters such as Willem van Aelst, in her work. Particularly in the way she uses light and textures.

“My passion for working with something organic and unpredictable is intuitive. From both a creative and technical perspective, I’ve learnt a lot through this new way of telling a visual story,” she explains.

Bankers is inspired by the paintings of Georgia O’Keeffe, and Australian florists such as Saskia Havekes at Grandiflora. She enjoys looking at the fine form and intricacy of flowers and plants. From that passion grew a series with a focus on botanical studies. There is a painterly quality that draws on the past while looking to the future. Her eye for composition and colour, combined with her skillful use of natural light, transform her photographs into timeless creations.

“I’m drawn to aesthetics which resonate on an emotional level. My work explores memories that are kept within, secrets that we all have, and nature’s ever unfolding energy,” says Helen, who studied fine arts before choosing to explore her creativity through photography.

A considered view of the botanical world. A visual perspective and a historical enquiry.