Elizabeth Rees was born in Palmerston North in 1959. She holds Diplomas in Fine Arts from Queen Elizabeth College and the University of Canterbury. Rees has been exhibiting since 1989. She began with artworks of social satire linked to television and celebrity, and exploring relationships between the body, the mind and the environment in which we exist.

After an absence of several years showing work in Auckland, Rees joined ARTIS Gallery in 2011. As with her figure works, her rich and moody landscapes have a psychological element. Each enigmatic space conjures the feeling of isolation, potential and mystery. She achieves this through a controlled and unique use of paint. Rees works on carefully primed canvases, enhancing the luminous qualities of oil paint.