Ray Ching b. 1939
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Ray ChingSong of the Huia, 2024Oils on board106.7 x 91.4 cm
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Ray ChingThe Birds, the Beasts & the Bat p. 62-63, 2017Oils on canvas110 x 137 x 4 cm
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Ray ChingIn a Forest Together They Danced and Sang, 2021Oils on panel97 x 135 cm
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Ray ChingThe Huia PainterOils on board85.5 x 90.5 cm
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Ray ChingP.84-85 The Pigeons Who DancedOil on board51 x 61 cm
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Ray ChingP.234-235 The Hawk & the Young BitternsAlkyd / Acrylic on board51 x 61 cm
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Ray ChingHuia at her Nest, 2022Oils on canvas65.5 x 54.5 cm
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Ray ChingThe Dispute, 2018Graphite pencil, ink, conté, carbon, oils, liquin92 x 107 cm
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Ray ChingP.246-247 At Last. The EndAlkyd / Acrylic on board46 x 61 cm
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Ray ChingP.226-227 The Rats & the Birds on the Shore, 2014Alkyd/Acrylic on board61 x 51 cm
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Ray ChingHospital Ship, 2023Oil on board90.5 x 105.5 cm
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Ray ChingThe Ant p. 105, 2017Alkyd/Acrylic on board51 x 51 x 2 cm
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Ray ChingWho's got the Longitude?, 2018Graphite pencil, ink, conté, carbon, oils, liquin107 x 107 cm
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Ray ChingKing Log p. 186-187, 2017Alkyd/Acrylic on board61 x 76 x 5 cm
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Ray ChingThe Bat's Conduct p. 68-69, 2017Alkyd/Acrylic on board91 x 110 cm
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Ray ChingThe Bird-catcher & the Snake, 2017Alkyd/Acrylic on board61 x 76 x 53 cm
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Ray ChingThe Dingo & the Crocodile p. 130-131, 2017Alkyd/Acrylic on board51 x 61 cm
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Ray ChingP.225 The Owl hit by an Arrow, 2014Alkyd/Acrylic on board51 x 61 x 3 cm
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Ray ChingThe Snake & the Wallaby p. 174-175 , 2017Alkyd/Acrylic on board61 x 75 cm
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Ray ChingThe Two Pots, 2010Oils on board91.5 x 107 x 3 cm
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Ray ChingThe Racing Pigeons, the Goshawk & the Falcon p. 76 - 77 , 2017Alkyd/Acrylic on board51 x 61 x 2 cm
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Ray ChingThe River-Dwellers p. 196-197, 2017Alkyd/Acrylic on board51 x 51 cm
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Ray ChingFoolish Friends, 2020Oils on board90 x 107 cm
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Ray ChingThe Goose in a Ruff at Sea, 2020Oils on board91 x 76 cm
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Ray ChingFable: The Kite and the HuiaOils on canvas board51 x 61 cm
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Ray ChingThe Sun and the Southerly WindOil on composite board91.5 x 107 cm
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Ray ChingThe Leaves in the Wind, 2010Oils on board91.5 x 107 x 3 cm
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Ray ChingHe’d be alright if they would let him leave his singlet on / The Arrival of the Pipiwharauroa, 2007Oils on canvas, laid down on panel70 x 91 x 5 cm
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Ray ChingPaid-back/Daybreak, 2007Oil on canvas, laid down on panel108 x 90 x 8 cm
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.
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AOTEAROA ART FAIR
30 April - 6 May 2025 -
The Huia & our Tears
Ray Ching 22 October - 10 November 2024“Huia are difficult birds to paint. They are difficult because neither you nor I have seen these birds foraging about the forest floor with their beautiful ivory-coloured beaks and can’t...Read more -
Aotearoa Art Fair 2024
17 - 22 April 2024 -
Ray Ching
Fabled Lands Exhibition & Book Launch 14 September - 3 October 2021FABLED LANDS is a limited edition book by artist Ray Ching. Containing the artist’s own selection of paintings and drawings spanning more than 50 years, and accompanied by his own hand-scripted commentaries, this book is limited to 150 copies. The exhibition, displayed across both ARTIS Gallery & Jonathan Grant Gallery, included works from the past 25 years of the artist’s career as well as a selection of new limited edition prints.Read more -
Auckland Art Fair
BOOTH A6 24 - 27 February 2021New Zealand’s premier showcase for contemporary art returned in 2021 from Wednesday 24 – Saturday 27 February at The Cloud on Auckland’s Queens Wharf .Read more -
Ray Ching
The Voyage 26 November - 15 December 2019The Voyage recounts the story of how members of Ching’s imaginary menagerie set out on a quest to find their own Eldorado, an Elysian land across the sea. The images...Read more -
Ray Ching
Aesop's Outback Fables 1 - 20 May 2018Aesop’s Outback Fables is the third edition in the anthology of works by renowned artist Ray Ching. He has painted over 200 works for this volume and has hand written...Read more
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Ray Ching
Aesop's Kiwi Fables: Paintings by Ray Ching Ray Ching, 2012Hardback, 228 pagesRead more
Publisher: David Bateman
ISBN: 9781869538453 -
Ray Ching
Aesop's Outback Fables Ray Ching, 2018Hardback, 268 pagesRead more
Publisher: Ray Ching, Poorly Rabbit Press
ISBN: 9780473413729
Dimensions: 260 x 260 mm -
Ray Ching
Dawn Chorus Ray Ching, 2019Hardback, 248 pagesRead more
Publisher: David Bateman Ltd
Dimensions: 290 x 260 mm -
Ray Ching
The Huia & our Tears Ray Ching, 2024Hardcover, sewn, 279 pagesRead more
Publisher: Ray Ching, Poorly Rabbit Press
ISBN: 978-0-473-70489-6
Dimensions: 26.5 x 24 cm