Works
  • Ray Ching, Song of the Huia, 2024
    Ray Ching
    Song of the Huia, 2024
    Oils on board
    106.7 x 91.4 cm
  • Ray Ching, The Birds, the Beasts & the Bat p. 62-63, 2017
    Ray Ching
    The Birds, the Beasts & the Bat p. 62-63, 2017
    Oils on canvas
    110 x 137 x 4 cm
  • Ray Ching, In a Forest Together They Danced and Sang, 2021
    Ray Ching
    In a Forest Together They Danced and Sang, 2021
    Oils on panel
    97 x 135 cm
  • Ray Ching, The Huia Painter
    Ray Ching
    The Huia Painter
    Oils on board
    85.5 x 90.5 cm
  • Ray Ching, P.84-85 The Pigeons Who Danced
    Ray Ching
    P.84-85 The Pigeons Who Danced
    Oil on board
    51 x 61 cm
  • Ray Ching, P.234-235 The Hawk & the Young Bitterns
    Ray Ching
    P.234-235 The Hawk & the Young Bitterns
    Alkyd / Acrylic on board
    51 x 61 cm
  • Ray Ching, Huia at her Nest, 2022
    Ray Ching
    Huia at her Nest, 2022
    Oils on canvas
    65.5 x 54.5 cm
  • Ray Ching, The Dispute, 2018
    Ray Ching
    The Dispute, 2018
    Graphite pencil, ink, conté, carbon, oils, liquin
    92 x 107 cm
  • Ray Ching, P.246-247 At Last. The End
    Ray Ching
    P.246-247 At Last. The End
    Alkyd / Acrylic on board
    46 x 61 cm
  • Ray Ching, P.226-227 The Rats & the Birds on the Shore, 2014
    Ray Ching
    P.226-227 The Rats & the Birds on the Shore, 2014
    Alkyd/Acrylic on board
    61 x 51 cm
  • Ray Ching, Hospital Ship, 2023
    Ray Ching
    Hospital Ship, 2023
    Oil on board
    90.5 x 105.5 cm
  • Ray Ching, The Ant p. 105, 2017
    Ray Ching
    The Ant p. 105, 2017
    Alkyd/Acrylic on board
    51 x 51 x 2 cm
  • Ray Ching, Who's got the Longitude?, 2018
    Ray Ching
    Who's got the Longitude?, 2018
    Graphite pencil, ink, conté, carbon, oils, liquin
    107 x 107 cm
  • Ray Ching, King Log p. 186-187, 2017
    Ray Ching
    King Log p. 186-187, 2017
    Alkyd/Acrylic on board
    61 x 76 x 5 cm
  • Ray Ching, The Bat's Conduct p. 68-69, 2017
    Ray Ching
    The Bat's Conduct p. 68-69, 2017
    Alkyd/Acrylic on board
    91 x 110 cm
  • Ray Ching, The Bird-catcher & the Snake, 2017
    Ray Ching
    The Bird-catcher & the Snake, 2017
    Alkyd/Acrylic on board
    61 x 76 x 53 cm
  • Ray Ching, The Dingo & the Crocodile p. 130-131, 2017
    Ray Ching
    The Dingo & the Crocodile p. 130-131, 2017
    Alkyd/Acrylic on board
    51 x 61 cm
  • Ray Ching, P.225 The Owl hit by an Arrow, 2014
    Ray Ching
    P.225 The Owl hit by an Arrow, 2014
    Alkyd/Acrylic on board
    51 x 61 x 3 cm
  • Ray Ching, The Snake & the Wallaby p. 174-175 , 2017
    Ray Ching
    The Snake & the Wallaby p. 174-175 , 2017
    Alkyd/Acrylic on board
    61 x 75 cm
  • Ray Ching, The Two Pots, 2010
    Ray Ching
    The Two Pots, 2010
    Oils on board
    91.5 x 107 x 3 cm
  • Ray Ching, The Racing Pigeons, the Goshawk & the Falcon p. 76 - 77 , 2017
    Ray Ching
    The Racing Pigeons, the Goshawk & the Falcon p. 76 - 77 , 2017
    Alkyd/Acrylic on board
    51 x 61 x 2 cm
  • Ray Ching, The River-Dwellers p. 196-197, 2017
    Ray Ching
    The River-Dwellers p. 196-197, 2017
    Alkyd/Acrylic on board
    51 x 51 cm
  • Ray Ching, Foolish Friends, 2020
    Ray Ching
    Foolish Friends, 2020
    Oils on board
    90 x 107 cm
  • Ray Ching, The Goose in a Ruff at Sea, 2020
    Ray Ching
    The Goose in a Ruff at Sea, 2020
    Oils on board
    91 x 76 cm
  • Ray Ching , Fable: The Kite and the Huia
    Ray Ching
    Fable: The Kite and the Huia
    Oils on canvas board
    51 x 61 cm
  • Ray Ching, The Sun and the Southerly Wind
    Ray Ching
    The Sun and the Southerly Wind
    Oil on composite board
    91.5 x 107 cm
  • Ray Ching, The Leaves in the Wind, 2010
    Ray Ching
    The Leaves in the Wind, 2010
    Oils on board
    91.5 x 107 x 3 cm
  • Ray Ching, He’d be alright if they would let him leave his singlet on / The Arrival of the Pipiwharauroa, 2007
    Ray Ching
    He’d be alright if they would let him leave his singlet on / The Arrival of the Pipiwharauroa, 2007
    Oils on canvas, laid down on panel
    70 x 91 x 5 cm
  • Ray Ching, Paid-back/Daybreak, 2007
    Ray Ching
    Paid-back/Daybreak, 2007
    Oil on canvas, laid down on panel
    108 x 90 x 8 cm
Biography

Born in 1939 in Wellington, Ray Ching is renowned as New Zealand's leading contemporary bird painter.  Ching began exhiting his bird paintings in the 1960's.  His first exhibtion , 'Thirty Birds', in 1968 was a sell-out, attracting the attention of Sir William Collins of Collins Publishing.  He invited Ching to the UK to produce a book of his bird paintings, however upon Ching's arrival, he came in contact  with the publishers of The Reader's Digest.  Along with Collins Publishing,  they intended to produce a major book on the birds of Britain.  As a result , Ching was commissioned to paint 230 full-colour studies and the Reader's Digest Book of British Birds was published in 1969.  This book became the world's most successful and biggest selling ornithological publication.

 

Ching is represented in New Zealand with work in The Suter Te Aratoi o Whakatū, The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington  and the Dunedin Public Art Gallery.

Books documenting his paintings include: The Readers Digest Book of British Birds, 1969, The Bird Paintings, 1978, Studies & sketches of a Bird Painter, 1981, The Art of Raymond Ching, 1981, Wild Portraits, 1988, Ray Harris Ching, Journey of an Artist, 1990, Voice from the Wilderness 1994.

 

In 2010 Ching ventured into the genre of graphic novels with the first publication by David Bateman Publishing, ‘Aesop’s Kiwi Fables - Painting Ray Ching’.  This publication accompanied the first of two exhibitions at ARTIS Gallery, Auckland, NZ (2010, and 2012). In 2014, Dawn Chorus was published (also by Bateman Publishing) and accompanied another two further exhibitions at ARTIS in 2014 and 2015.

 

‘Aesop’s Outback Fables’ was published in 2018 by Artis Gallery, concurrent with his exhibition of the same year. The book ‘Fabled Lands’, was launched simultaneously with an exhibition across ARTIS and Jonathan Grant Gallery in October 2021.  His latest book ‘The Huia & Our Tears’ was published in 2024, along with an exhibition at ARTIS in October that year.

 

In 2012 Ching was commissioned by Sir David Attenborough to paint a large oil on canvas, which was used to illustrate the cover of Attenborough’s book, Drawn from Paradise.

 

Exhibitions
Publications