About


About New Zealand Artist Silke Hendel.

Silke Hendel is a New Zealand artist based in Northland, where wide skies, glowing coastlines, and ever-changing light continue to shape her creative world.

Silke Hendel creating her First Light Over Paradise painting

Having lived throughout Aotearoa, Silke draws deep inspiration from the country’s diverse landscapes - from misty mountain mornings to sun-drenched beaches that seem to radiate colour. 

Her connection to art began early. At just 14 years old, Silke experienced her first “official” art moment when one of her works appeared on the cover of her high school yearbook - an early affirmation of a creative path that would become a lifelong pursuit.

More than four decades later, painting remains a constant companion, evolving alongside her life and surroundings.

Silke works primarily with acrylics, embracing bold, bright colour, playful line work, and expressive shapes.

She is fascinated by the way light transforms familiar scenes - how a shift in weather, a passing cloud, or a sudden burst of sunshine can completely alter colours, mood and perception. This sensitivity to light and atmosphere is central to her work, infusing each piece with movement, warmth, and optimism.

Nature is Silke’s greatest muse. Her paintings are joyful interpretations of the world around her - not literal representations, but emotional responses.

Each work captures a feeling rather than a place, inviting viewers to slow down, notice beauty in the everyday, and reconnect with both the natural world and their inner landscape.

Silke working on a large commission artwork

At the heart of Silke’s practice is a simple intention: to create art that makes people feel good. Her paintings are designed to bring light, colour, and a sense of joyful calm into homes and workspaces - small slices of sunshine that uplift regardless of the weather outside.

She hopes her artwork encourages mindfulness, gratitude for the environment, and moments of quiet reflection amid busy lives.

Silke has exhibited and sold work through a range of exhibitions, including the NZ Art Show, and her paintings are held in private collections throughout New Zealand and globally.

She continues to create from her Northland studio, adding new works regularly as part of her ongoing mission to make the world a brighter, happier place - one painting at a time.

Visitors are warmly invited to explore her latest artworks and return often as new pieces are added.

View Silke's newest artwork HERE