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Overview
In this drawing eight female figures are connected by the mirrored movements of their arms and hair. It’s likely this was a sketch for the painting Pattern inspired by rain, a work that was displayed in the 1941 Auckland Society of Arts annual exhibition. Five of A. Lois White’s works were included in the show. In Pattern inspired by rain, women are symbols of atmospheric forces. The composition feels airy and abstract, as if shaped by the flow of rainwater.
Pattern inspired by rain is now in Auckland Art Gallery’s collection: https://www.aucklandartgallery.com/explore-art-and-ideas/artwork/7581/pattern-inspired-by-rain.
About the artist
Anna Lois White, born in 1903, studied at the Elam School of Fine Arts in Auckland. White taught for 8 years at Takapuna Grammar School before becoming a tutor in painting at Elam. She worked at the art school until 1963. Both White’s parents were senior members of the Methodist church in Auckland. Her works often strike a balance between deep religiousity, and her lens on life as a modern woman.