Celebrating Cultures Pop-Up: Shared Presence

Rooted in the communities of East Auckland, Shared Presence is a portrait project that grows through meeting local people and spending time together. Through drawing and observation, artist Qing Lin captures something of the diverse lives, cultures and everyday stories of the people who live here. Come along and be part of a 20–30-minute live portrait drawing session. Take a seat, relax and experience what it’s like to see yourself through an artist’s eyes.

Qing Lin: is a visual artist working across painting, drawing, and photography. He graduated from the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing in 1993.

Before focusing on contemporary painting and portrait-based projects, he worked extensively in illustration and visual communication. His works have been published in a range of Chinese cultural and literary publications, and he has created illustrations for internationally recognised literary works including Childhood, Resurrection, The True Story of Ah Q, The Old Man and the Sea, Hamlet, and Selected Poems of Pushkin.

His painting works are held in the collection of the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing. Selected works include Gathering at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (2010), Portrait of Giuseppe Verdi (2012), and commissioned portraits of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Anton Bruckner (2016).

His current artistic practice explores portraiture, human connection, and the relationship between individuals and their surrounding environments. Through direct observation and long-term engagement, he uses painting and photography to explore how personal stories and shared experiences shape our understanding of place.

Now based in Auckland, New Zealand, Qing Lin is developing the long-term portrait project Shared Presence, which explores encounters, belonging, and everyday connections within Auckland’s diverse communities.

Check out the full programme here

The Celebrating Culture Pop-Up is proudly delivered by Arts Out East a Te Tuhi programme, generously funded by the Howick Local Board and supported by Botany Town Centre.