Derek Cowie (b. 1956, Ruatoria, New Zealand) was raised in Dunedin. He moved to Wellington where he attended Wellington School of Design from 1976 - 78. His work is represented in several public collections including Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. In the 1980s Cowie regularly exhibited with Peter McLeavey Gallery in Wellington before moving to London where he worked as a scenic painter for the National Theatre and as an award winning visual artist for film and television, painting public scenes in Covent Garden, and undertaking the interior design of Peter Gordon’s iconic Sugar Club restaurant. Following many years living in London, Cowie returned to Wellington in 2015.
Working across various mediums and styles, his practice often delves into obscure art historical and cultural resources, and is always motivated by strong environmental concerns and imbued with a distinctly subversive sensibility.