Bio & Resume

Judi Lapsley Miller’s art is inspired by the wildlife and land of Aotearoa-New Zealand, the awesome forces that went into making them (and continue to make them), and the tensions between the pre-human and modern world. She strives through her art to advocate for endangered species and spaces by exploring themes like the tenacity of life in the face of environmental destruction, what it means to be endangered, and the post-human world. Many of her images are inspired from her experiences with volunteering in wildlife conservation projects, especially with her beloved endangered kākā parrots.

Photography is just the first step in Judi’s creative process – she digitally blends and masks layers of photographs, graphics, scanned ephemera and textures, lighting and colour adjustments, and digital brushstrokes to form an image that is more painting than photograph. Photo artistry and digital compositing gives her the freedom to expand her viewpoint and delve deep into her imagination.

She came to photo artistry by chance, having become frustrated with the limits and rigid rules of wildlife photography that precluded her from telling the intimate stories she could see unfolding around her. After attending a compositing workshop by Shona Jaray, she stumbled upon Sebastian Michael’s online photo-artistic training courses, and completed the year-long professional photo artistry training course “AWAKE” in 2016 and participated in the advanced KAIZEN group for two years. She is an active member of the Artists Down Under – Australia & New Zealand group, and is a member artist of the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts. She is inspired by (and has done many online courses with) the imaginative and surrealist photo artists Julieanne Kost and Brooke Shaden.

​In her images, Judi exposes her interpretation of the inner world of others – their thoughts and feelings, their hopes and desires – in a form tangible to the human viewer that she hopes engenders empathy and understanding with other living creatures.

Judi and her photo artistic work has appeared in the NZ Photographer magazine, D-Photo magazine, Australian Photography magazine, Forest & Bird magazine, the Independent Herald newspaper, Living the PhotoArtistic Life magazine (multiple issues), and Artists Down Under magazine (multiple issues). She has exhibited in multiple group exhibitions and three solo exhibitions in New Zealand. In the international arena, she has been awarded a Solo exhibition, and twice placed 2nd in the photography and digital media category and 4th and 5th in the overall category in Light Space & Time online gallery exhibitions. Her straight photography work is used widely for advocacy and education purposes, including for Tourism New Zealand, Zealandia EcoSanctuary, Forest & Bird, NZ Birds Online, Wellington City Council, the Ornithological Society of NZ, and other wildlife and conservation organizations.

She lives in Wellington, New Zealand.

• 1 Dec 2021 - 31 Jan 2022: "Visions of Zealandia - 3: Nightlife" solo exhibition. Zealandia EcoSanctuary gallery, Wellington. (more...)
• 1 July - 31 August 2019: "Visions of Zealandia - 2: The Big Idea" solo exhibition. Zealandia EcoSanctuary gallery, Wellington. (more...)
• 9 April - 21 May 2018: "Birds on a Wire" solo exhibition. Edges Art+Framing Gallery. Exhibited nineteen works from Birds of a feather and Flights of fancy series.​
• 15 Sep - 15 Oct 2017: Light Space & Time online art gallery - Solo Art Exhibition. 15 pieces on the birds of Zealandia. See the exhibition on YouTube.
• ​1 Jun – 1 Sep 2017: “Visions of Zealandia” solo exhibition. Zealandia EcoSanctuary gallery, Wellington. 11 works from three series: Birds of a feather, Flights of fancy, and Visions of Zealandia. (more...)​​

• 25 - 29 July 2023: "Feathers & Foliage: celebrating 100 years of Forest & Bird" (more...).
• 23 Jun - 23 Jul 2023: "Matariki" Exhibition at the NZ Academy of Fine Arts. Awarded "President's Award" for "A Hidden World (kākāpō)". (more...)
• 15 Feb - 2 Apr 2023: "Waiata Manu Bird Song" Invited. Te Papakura Exhibition Space, New Zealand Parliament Pāremata Aotearoa. Curated by Dorothy Laing. Hosted by the Honorable Damien Smith. Featuring "A Hidden World (kākāpō)" and "A Real Kiwi Joker." (more...)
• 6 - 16 Oct 2021: "Waiata Manu", Somervell Church. Invited. Group exhibition for Auckland Art Week curated by Dorothy Laing. Featured artists were Don Binney, Nigel Brown, Bill Devoy, Sean Hill, Judi Lapsley Miller, Martin Lauder, Lukeke Studio, Janet Marshall, Tai Meuli, Sofia Minson, Alexander Okhlopkov, Amber Smith, Simon Stuart, and Minrui Yang. Exhibited "A real kiwi joker" (online show after covid-cancellation of in-person show).
• May-June 2021: "Embrace the Dawn Chorus". Invited. Urban Art NZ group exhibition showing on electronic billboards countrywide (including Auckland and Wellington airports, Lambton Quay, Wellington Railway Station, and malls). Curated by Andrew Hagen. Featured artists in the show are: Judi Lapsley Miller, Chimp, Hannah Shand, Niels Meyer-Westfeld, Jeanette Blackburn, and Sofia Minson (more...)
• 26 Sep - 31 Oct 2019: "Bringing Back the Birds", Bowen Exhibition Space, New Zealand Parliament. Hosted by the Honorable Eugenie Sage. (more...)
• 1 – 4 June 2018: NZ Art Show, Wellington. Exhibited multiple pieces.
• 2 – 5 Jun 2017: NZ Art Show, Wellington. Exhibited “All at sea”, “He came to me on the beat of a wing”, “Adrift” and “Emergence of flight”.

• 1 Feb - 31 Mar 2023: "For the Birds" group exhibition. Zealandia EcoSanctuary. Curator and Exhibitor. (more...) 
• 3 - 6 Feb 2023: Paekakariki Art Show. Exhibited watercolours and TinyArt pieces.
• 10 Dec 2022 - 23 Jan 2023: "Art 2 Go" exhibition. New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts. Exhibited impasto floral artworks.
• Dec 2022 - 8 Jan 2023: Summer exhibition. New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts. Accepted for exhibition "The Selfie" and "Two Minutes to Midnight".
• 18 June - 24 July, 2022 "Matariki Exhibition." New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts, Wellington. Exhibited "The Sign of the Southern Cross" and "The Early Birds."
• Mar 2021-Apr 2021: NZAFA Autumn Exhibition. Exhibited "The Secret (pīwakawaka)".
• Dec 2020-Jan 2021: NZAFA Summer Exhibition. Exhibited "A real kiwi joker" and "Nightlife".
• Dec 2020-Jan 2021: NZAFA Art 2 Go. Exhibited "Scenic Route" and "The Selfie".
• ​Mar-May 2020: "Birds Eye View", group exhibition with Karen Rankin Neal, Carol Theologo, and Rachel Walker at the Orion Powerhouse Gallery in Akaroa. Exhibition was cancelled due to covid-9 lockdown, but a virtual exhibition was run online and a "table-top" weekend exhibition run onsite at the gallery to end the show. The gallery selected "A Quick Study (toutouwai)" to donate to the Akaroa Health Hub art collection.
• Aug-Sep 2021: "For the Birds" Group Show at Zealandia EcoSanctuary. Curator and Exhibitor.​
• 19 Jun - 24 Jul 2021: NZAFA Winter Exhibition. Exhibited "Sweet Dreams (ruru)" and "A Light in the Black (ruru)"
• 23 Apr - 14 May 2021: Canvas 200 NZAFA Fundraiser. Exhibited/Donated "A little ray of sunshine (hihi)" encaustic mixed media piece.
• ​13 Nov 2020: Orion Powerhouse Gallery, Akaroa. Cash & Carry show. Exhibited prints and TinyArt pieces.
• May-July 2020: "For the Birds" Group Show at Zealandia EcoSanctuary. Curator and Exhibitor. ​
• 7 Dec 2019 - 12 Jan 2020: NZAFA Summer Exhibition. Exhibited "Professor Polly" and "From Whence Cometh Evil". 
• 23 Nov 2019 - 12 Jan 2020: Art to Go NZAFA Cash & Carry Exhibition. Exhibited "A: Apteryx owenii" and "H: Hemiphaga chathamensis" encaustic pieces.
• 23-29 Nov 2019: Canvas 200 NZAFA Fundraiser. Exhibited/Donated "Incoming (kererū)" and "Pushing up daisies", encaustic mixed media pieces.
• ​​Oct - Nov 2019: "Sanctuary Stories: the art of wildlife advocacy." Zealandia EcoSanctuary. Curated and designed the exhibition, and exhibited with the Storyteller Group with special guests from the Art of Birding photography challenge.​
• 18-20 Oct 2019: "OPp ARt: form from chaos", Somervell Church, Remuera, Auckland. Invited.
• 4 May - 16 June 2019: Cleveland National Art Awards, Otago Art Society, Dunedin. Exhibited "A quick study (toutouwai)".
• 29 Mar - 22 Apr 2019: NZAFA Autumn Exhibition. Exhibited "Two hearts beat as one" and "The ballerinas".
• 5 Dec 2018 - 29 Jan 2019: NZAFA Summer Cash & Carry Exhibition. Exhibited "I shall ride every storm" and "At what cost forever". 
• 29 Nov 2018: For the Birds Art Show - one night fundraiser for Zealandia EcoSanctuary. Organizer and exhibitor.
• Oct-Nov 2018: Sanctuary Storytellers photo-essay exhibition at Zealandia EcoSanctuary. Curator and designer, and contributing editor and photographer. Zealandia EcoSanctuary gallery, Wellington.
• 20 Oct - 17 Nov 2018: Spring Cash & Carry Exhibition, Akaroa Orion Powerhouse Gallery, Akaroa.
• 12-28 Oct 2018: Little Sprouts Fundraiser Art Event. Pātaka Art + Museum, Porirua, Wellington. Donated "Pushing up daisies".
• 4-30 Sep 2018: Spring Exhibition. New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts, Wellington. Exhibited "The Boffin" and "The Spy" (large, embellished fine-art prints). 
• 24-29 Aug 2018:  Canvas 200 Fundraiser Exhibition. NZ Academy of Fine Arts. Exhibited "The Boffin" and "The Spy" (small first edition embellished prints; pictures donated as fundraiser).
• 16 June - 8 July 2018: NZ Academy of Fine Arts Winter Exhibition. Exhibited Dreams of Freedom and Autumn.
• 19 Dec 2017 - 13 Feb 2018: NZ Academy of Fine Arts Summer Exhibition. Exhibited "It's about time" and "Abracadabra (kererū)". 
• 27 Oct - 4 Nov 2017: Taranaki National Art Awards Exhibition, Opunake, Taranaki. Exhibited "Emergence of flight".
• 9 Sep – ​9 Oct 2017: Spring Exhibition. New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts, Wellington. Exhibited “All at sea” and “He came to me on the beat of a wing”.  
• 1 Sep – 30 Sep 2017: Sanctuary Stories. Curator and designer, and contributing writer and photographer. Zealandia EcoSanctuary gallery, Wellington.
• 29 Jul – 2 Sep 2017: Invercargill Licencing Trust Art Awards 2017. Southland Art Society, Invercargill. Exhibited “Invasion Day”.
• 20 – 25 Jul 2017: Canvas 200 fundraiser. New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts, Wellington. Exhibited “What’s up (kererū)” and “Arise the rare and endangered Kāpiti Island kākāk phœnix” (pictures donated as fundraiser).
• 17 Jun – 16 Jul 2017: Winter Exhibition. New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts, Wellington. Exhibited “Adrift” and “Emergence of flight”. 
• 29 Apr – 28 May 2017: Cleveland National Art Awards. Otago Art Society, Dunedin. Exhibited “Bursting out” .​
• 23 – 25 Sep 2016: PSNZ Central Regional Salon. Kapiti Camera Club, Porirua. Open digital – ​acceptance “Pushing up daisies”.

• 20 Sept - 20 Nov, 2021: Inspirational Art in Mixed Media Exhibition. "Forever calling me" TinyArt still life selected for exhibition with the Healing Power of Art and Artists gallery. Curated by Renee Phillips, Director, Manhattan Arts International, NYC, NY.
• Dec 2020: Forever calling me (tūī) placed sixth overall and third in the Photography & Digital Media category in the online international "Nature" art exhibition by the Light-Space-Time gallery. "The Sweetheart" and "A real kiwi joker" received special merit awards.
• Nov 2018: Contented (laughing kookaburra) placed fifth in the photography/digital section of the international "Nature" art exhibition by the Light-Space-Time gallery. 
• Nov 2018: "It's About Time" selected for exhibition in the online international "Our Bond With Nature" exhibition with the Healing Power of Art and Artists gallery. Curated by Renee Phillips, Director, Manhattan Arts International, NYC, NY.
• May 2018: Light Space Time online gallery – Animals Exhibition. Overall 4th Place – “Over the moon (red-tailed black cockatoo)”;  Photography & Digital Art 2nd Place – “Over the moon (red-tailed black cockatoo)”; Special recognition artist award (Photography  & Digital) category “Bathtime in Bella Vista”; Special Merit (Photography & Digital Media) Award “It's about time”.
• Aug 2017: Light Space & Time online art gallery – Botanicals Exhibition. Overall 4th Place – “In a Bind”; Photography & Digital Art 2nd Place – “In a Bind”; Special merit ward - “Got My Knickers in a Twist”.
• Jun 2017: Light Space & Time online art gallery – Animals Exhibition. Overall 5th Place – “An Urban Jungle”; Photography & Digital Art – 2nd Place – “An Urban Jungle”; Special merit awards: “When I Sing My Heart Ascends” and “Visions of Zealandia”.
• May 2017: Light Space & Time online art gallery – Landscapes. ​Special merit award “He Came to Me on the Beat of a Wing”.​

Selected artworks are available from the following galleries and stores:

• Zealandia EcoSanctuary – ​Visitors Centre Shop – ​Wellington, New Zealand.
• Te Papa Store, Museum of New Zealand - Wellington, New Zealand.
• Inspirit Gallery - Hamilton, New Zealand.
• The Mandarin Tree – Art and Concept Store, Gordonton Rd, Gordonton, New Zealand.
• Kotare Art Studio & Gallery – ​Greytown, New Zealand.
• Artel Gallery, Ōtaki, Kapiti Coast, New Zealand.
• Edges Art+Framing - Havelock North, New Zealand.
• Make – ​the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts Store, Wellington, New Zealand.
• Aurora Arts + Gifts, Rakiura/Stewart Island, New Zealand.
• The Good Studio, Riverton, New Zealand.
• The Ruru's Nest, Hamilton, New Zealand.
• Nelson Classic Car Museum, New Zealand.
• Lavender Abbey, Wairarapa, New Zealand.
• Forest & Bird - online store, New Zealand.
• World Parrot Trust - online store, UK and USA.

• 2017-current: Artists Down Under magazine - nearly every issue has featured latest exhibitions, shows, stockists, updates on the Art of Birding Photography Challenge, and other projects.
• 2016-current: Living the PhotoArtistic Life magazine - artworks have featured in many issues.
• 2023: Artists Down Under "Featured Interview" by Maureen Maxwell (more...)
• 1 Dec 2021: Artists Down Under Featured Artist.
• 26 July 2019: Creativity & Conservation - Interview with Photo-Artist Judi Lapsley Miller. Excio Photography Community website.
• 1 Feb 2018: Artists Down Under Featured Artist.
• 1 Aug 2017: Australian Photography Magazine “Two Worlds: two new conservation projects show the power of photography to bridge art and action” by Phillipa Fredericksen, pg 75. 
• 17 Jul 2017: Independent Herald “Parting the green curtain” by Julia Czerwonatis. (Visions of Zealandia solo exhibition).

• Mar 2022: The Best of Art of Birding 2021. Excio Journal, Vol II (Issue 1)
• Jan-Feb 2020: A creative New Year for wildlife and nature artists. The New Zealand Artist Magazine, Series 7, Vol 2, Issue 38, pg 52-53. Article encouraging creatives to join the Art of Birding photography challenge.
• Sep-Oct 2019: Correct usage of reference photographs. The New Zealand Artist Magazine. Series 6, Volume 6, Issue 36, p51-53.
• Apr-May 2019: D-Photo Magazine "Make People Give a Damn" - article on how to use photos for wildlife advocacy and the Art of Birding photography challenge.
• Dec 2018: Forest & Bird magazine, 370, Picture Perfect, p 39 (about the Art of Birding photography challenge).
• 1 Nov 2018: Artists Down Under "A day in the life of a professional artist", reprinted with permission from Light-Space-Time blog.
• 1 May 2017: Artists Down Under interview with Claudia Aalderlink from The Mandarin Tree, p10-11.​​

• 2022: Life in the Shallows - the wetlands of Aotearoa New Zealand by Karen Denyer and Monica Peters. Massey University Press. Contributed photos of the Carter Reserve wetlands.
• 2022:Parrot Conservation: From Kakapo to Lear's Macaw. Tales of Hope from Around the World, by Rosemary Low. Contributed kākā photo and conservation information.
• 2021: Parrots: a celebration of their beauty, by Rosemary Low. Contributed kākā photo.
• Feb 2021: "Rising Tide" by Jennifer Palgrave. Commissioned to create the cover art.
• ​2019, ZEALANDIA - the valley that changed a nation, by Jim Lynch. Commissioned to create the cover art. Contributed many photos used throughout the book.
• 2019, Bird Stories - a History of the Birds of New Zealand, by Geoff Norman. Contributed photo of an urban kākā.​
• Nov 2015: Cover photo for Journal of Heredity: Lapsley Miller, J. A. (2015). Front Cover (Kaka; Nestor meridionalis septentrionalis). J Hered, 106, NP. 

• 2018: First in Landscape category in Galapagos Conservation Trust photography competition. 
• 2016: Honourable mention in Galapagos Conservation Trust photo competition. Photo published in 2017 calendar.
• 2016: Supreme winner of the Spirit of Zealandia photography competition; winner “Birds” category, honorable mention for “Landscapes” category. Judged by National Geographic wildlife photographer Joel Sartore.
• 2015: Won Public Address Tūrangiwaewae "A Place to Stand" Photo competition.
• 2015: Whakatane Harbour Care Group "Birds A Plenty" photo competition Kākā Kura - Judge's Special Merit Award - Adult Creative Section
• 2015: Winning image for Neighbourly, representing suburb of Ngaio.
• 2014: Focus on Galapagos Photo Competition, second place in wildlife behaviour category. Published two photos in 2015 Galapagos calendar.

• 2018-current: Zealandia volunteer, including artist liasion and curator for Te Māra Toi gallery.
• 2003-current: Zealandia online and social media, contributing writing and photography across multiple channels. Creator of the annual fund-raising calendar. Moderator of the Zealandia Visitor Art & Photography Facebook group. From 2015-2020, convener of the Sanctuary Storytellers volunteer group.
• 2018-current: Australian Photographic Society Conceptual Art Portfolio Awards mentor.
• 2018-current: Art of Birding Wildlife & Nature Photography Challenge creator and group convener. 
• 2020-current: For the love of wild parrots Aotearoa - Facebook Group creator and convener.
• 2017-current: Conservation Communicators Aotearoa - Facebook Group creator and moderator.
• 2017-2020: AWAKE photo-art community coach.
• NZ Birds Online contributor (kākā, red-footed booby, Chatham Island shag).
• Wikimedia Commons contributor

• 2023-current: Ōtari-Wilton's Bush Trust
• 2022-current: New Zealand Watercolour Society
• 2019-current: Excio Photo Community
• 2017-current: Artists Down Under – Australia and New Zealand
• 2017-current: Conservation Communicators Aotearoa (co-founder)
• 2016-current: Member of the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts (practicing artist)
• 2010-current: NZ Birds/Ornithological Society of New Zealand
• 2003-current: Zealandia
• 2003-current: Forest & Bird

• 1987-1999: BSc, BSc(Hons, 1st), PhD in Psychology from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand