London-born Abbie Read was educated at Leeds University in York
where she attained a BA in Design before working as a Creative
Director for a Soho-based production company. In 2001, Read
relocated to New Zealand and in 2005 graduated BFA from Whitecliffe
College of Arts and Design.
Read's work involves an exploration of hidden aesthetic intrigue
and an uncovering of the fascination inherent in the patterns and
detail produced through magnification of a subject. It is this
fascination with an object as microcosm that Read uses as a
tool
to comment on the nature of judgement and the way in which
context impinges on its theoretical purity.
Read has exhibited in solo and group shows in both Britain and
New Zealand and in was nominated as a finalist for the Waikato Art
Awards (2004) and the Norsewear Art Awards (2007). In 2005, Read
was chosen as one of five emerging artists to represent NZ in
Absolut Vodka's global 'Absolut Ingenuity' campaign.