About the Artist | Ira Mitchell

Meet Ira Mitchell

I’m Ira, a Queenstown-born artist and tutor now based in Melbourne. My love of the outdoors, art and travel has shaped a creative life, with painting at the heart of everything I do.

Inspired by the landscapes and species of Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, I create original paintings that bring my connection to nature into the home. My practice has grown alongside raising my children, exploring new places and sharing the joy of making art.

From Queenstown to the world

My work has been exhibited in New Zealand, Australia, the United States, France and Italy. Highlights include Women of the Ice, a solo exhibition at Canterbury Museum in 2023; a group exhibition at the Carrousel du Louvre in Paris that same year; and GOLDEN exhibitions in New York. In 2015, I received the People’s Choice Award at the Art Gold Awards in Alexandra.

More recently, my work has featured in exhibitions in Christchurch, Queenstown, Wānaka and Bannockburn, including a 2025 solo exhibition at The Church Cellar Door in Queenstown.

A foundation in fine art

I hold a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Postgraduate Diploma in Secondary Education (Art) from the University of Canterbury, and a Diploma in Visual Communications from the Southern Institute of Technology. My further training includes artist educator study with the GOLDEN Artists Foundation in New York and postgraduate study in contemporary theory at Ara.

Sharing creativity

Teaching and mentoring are an important part of my practice. I have mentored professional practice students at the University of Canterbury, taught in schools, led mural projects and worked on public art sculptures with Wild in Art. In 2026, my work includes tutoring at Art Ladder Gallery in Melbourne.

Whether I’m painting, teaching or talking about a creative career, I hope to encourage others to explore their ideas and see what is possible through art.

Thank you for being here and taking an interest in my work.

Ira