Jocelyn Friis

Jocelyn Friis, a New Zealand-based painter, creates semi-abstract land and seascapes from her coastal home studio in rural Mangawhai. Using acrylic and encaustic mediums, she explores the seemingly contrasting themes of nature’s resilience and vulnerability, reflecting the human condition.

Jocelyn’s artistic journey has been one of exploration and self-study. Raised on a smallholding in Cape Town, South Africa, she enjoyed freedoms like riding horses along unspoilt beaches and spending hours immersed in nature. Her Steiner education nurtured an early appreciation for creativity in the natural world, which shaped her path in art-making.

In 1996, Jocelyn immigrated to New Zealand, opening a doorway to pursue art professionally. She first joined the Estuary Arts Centre in Orewa and later became a member of Mangawhai Artists Inc. Training in eco art and process art has deepened her awareness of the connections between wellbeing, creativity, and the environment.

She is a triple award-winning artist, having received 1st place in the Kaipara Art Awards (Other Media), 2nd place in the Great Summer Art Exhibition (Snell’s Beach), and 1st place in the Hibiscus & Bays Art Awards. Jocelyn has also received a Creative Communities grant from CreativeNZ for professional development.

Her work has been shortlisted for several juried art awards, including the National Tasman Art Awards, the Cleveland Art Awards, and the Estuary Art and Ecology Awards. She is an alumna of Nicholas Wilton’s Creative Visionary Programme and a certified facilitator for Art & Creativity for Healing Inc., running workshops in her local community.

Jocelyn exhibits widely across New Zealand, including at the Auckland Art Show, the NZ Academy of Fine Arts in Wellington, and the Collaboration in New Plymouth.