Upstairs Exhibition - Michelle Huizinga and Abbey Lyman

The Upstairs Art Gallery

Open daily, 10am to 4pm

Entry is free

Closed New Year's Day, Good Friday, ANZAC Day morning and Christmas Day.

Upstairs Gallery is located on Level 1 of Lopdell House

Dandelions Through Decay

On show 6-22 March 2026

Dandelions Through Decay brings together the practices of Michelle Huizinga and Abbey Lyman, exploring how moments of reflection can be found in the everyday and in the small, deliberate moments that shape our experience of the world.

Michelle Huizinga’s practice is shaped by close observation of the natural and built environment. Working primarily with clay, she draws from weathered surfaces, rusted textures, and organic patterns formed over time. Her intuitive process embraces the beauty of decay, allowing material and movement to guide each work.

Abbey Lyman’s painting's engage with the rhythms of everyday habits, using painting to document specific moments and stretches of time. Through repeated marks and accumulating marks, her paintings balance harmony and tension, combining slow, methodical processes with spontaneous, responsive actions.

While both their practices are distinct, spending time working in each others presence, uncovered a shared curiosity about how time, process, and attention shape experience. Their work highlights the interplay of observation and intuition, inviting viewers to notice the persistent rhythms that give meaning to everyday moments. Together, they create a vibrant, hypnotic space for reflection, revealing the beauty within the everyday.

As the title suggests, Dandelions Through Decay points to beauty found in subtle transformation, the overlooked textures of life, and the patient unfolding of time…

Email gallery@upstairs.org.nz with any enquiries or phone 09 817 4278

Michelle Huizinga and Abbey Lyman