Ruby Wilkinson

Artist and creative.

Currently based in Melbourne, Australia. Born in West Auckland.
Ruby wears pieces from our Wings collection
Interview & photography by Ike Conway

Introducing Ruby, an artist and childhood friend. This weekend, Ruby is presenting her first solo show at the Aotearoa Art Fair 2026 – a huge milestone in her early career. We chat about the fair, inspiration, process, and a little bit of imposter syndrome.

Before we get any further, let’s talk about you. Who is Ruby Wilkinson?

I am an emerging artist working with paint. I grew up in West Auckland and completed my undergrad BFA at Massey in Pōneke Wellington. Now I am studying my Master's at Victorian College of Arts in Melbourne.

Let’s talk about your art. Your solo show at the Aotearoa art fair is a big deal. Biggest showing of your career and an amazing chance to get your work in front of so many faces. How long has this been in the works?

I started working on this collection of works, titled Belle Plaine, in October 2025.  The works were produced during an intensive 5 months, in my Gow Langsford studio in Tāmaki Makaurau.

I love the title ‘Belle Plaine’. I believe the inspiration for this title came from a cargo ship you spotted while fishing. Using niche moments like this to inform your work is really cool. Are lots of your works/titles inspired like this?

I like to assign an hour in the morning to work on creative writing and poetry alongside my painting practice. Often, my environment and experiences inform the language used in my writing. When the paintings are done, I sift through all the gathered material and pull words and phrases that resonate with the paintings.  

The piece we have hanging in our Commercial Bay store is beautiful. I personally get a very nautical mood from this piece. Can you give us some insight into the thought process behind this work?

This piece was made when I was working on my 2023 exhibition Forward Song, which was made when I was living in Pōneke and was influenced heavily by the Wellington south coast and its waters, so yes, Nautical. At the time, I was about to go travelling for 7 months, and this work was about saying goodbye to Aotearoa and travelling across oceans.

When we are creating our clothes, we go through many samples, making minor alteration, after minor alteration, before we reach a sellable product. Does your painting process feel similar or drastically different?

It takes 100 below-average paintings before one lands ready to share. My paintings often have multiple under-paintings and previous stories. Unlike fashion or clothes, I don't believe that painting is ever finished or final. One painting continuously leads onto the next, creating a continuum transiting my life.

Lets finish with feelings. Imposter syndrome sneaks up on me more than I'd like to admit, especially being such a young creative with so much new responsibility. I imagine, as an artist, sharing your work could feel quite vulnerable and imposter syndrome could be really tricky to deal with? Let me know your thoughts.

Every time I share work, it can feel challenging, as it's like sharing my internal world with people. I think imposter syndrome is inevitable in creative pursuits, but I think in order to deconstruct these fears, we need to reassess how we measure success. To break down these fears, I like to attempt to practice with honesty and remove expectations of others from the final outcome. 

Ruby Wilkinson's latest collection of works, Belle Plaine, is on display right now at the Aotearoa Art Fair on Auckland's waterfront.