Hayley Elliott-Kernot

Hayley Elliott-Kernot is an artist and illustrator based in Taranaki. Hayley's work pays tribute to the threads of commonality that tie together our beautiful, diverse heritage. It seeks to acknowledge differences, whilst depicting underlying themes and emotions that connect us as humans. Her work looks to the past, the future, and most of all, our shared passion and unity, regardless of age, gender, religion, or race. "Portraits are the main subject for my artwork because I am drawn to faces. A person’s face is like the cover of a book, concealing years’ worth of stories all intricately entwined to weave the fabric of who they are. In every human there are countless strands, love, hope, pain, fear, friendship, and a face is a doorway for the greatest and most complex tale of all." Hayley is largely self-taught, however, after the first lockdown in 2020, she took the opportunity to study art via distance and is currently a resident artist at The Art Loft in Taranaki.