Michael Smither

Michael Smither

Presented by Bread and Butter Gallery, Michael Smither CNZM (born 1939) is one of New Zealand's most recognised master painters, renowned as a leader of the homegrown hard-edge realism movement. Over a 70-year career inspired by his immediate environment, he has produced iconic works capturing coastal and mountain landscapes, domestic life, and religious symbols. He is also celebrated for incorporating music theory and harmonics into vibrant colour compositions. Smither's paintings are held in prominent private and major public collections, including Te Papa Tongarewa and Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, and he was awarded the CNZM in 2004 for services to art.