Anna Lois White

Anna Lois White (2 November 1903 – 13 September 1984), known in the art world as Lois (pronounced Loyce) White, was a New Zealand painter of the modernist school. She taught at the Elam Art School of the University of Auckland from 1927 until 1963.

Biography White was the youngest of four children. Her family were middle-class, and her father, Arthur Herbert White, was an Auckland architect. Her mother, Annie White (Phillips), was a notable member of the Mount Albert Methodist church. Her family played a key role in fostering the growth and progress of Methodism in the Mount Albert and Mount Roskill boroughs of Auckland. White's maternal grandfather ran W. Phillips & Sons, an importer of prints and artists' materials. In 1920, White's father died, marking the end of monetary comfort. Her family would be left to rely on financial assistance from other relatives for some time after her father's death. She was the top competitive swimmer at her school, winning every race to earn the Upper School Champion. Moreover, White showed potential as an artist from early on, being a valued member of the Epsom Girls' sketch club, in which she was 'highly commended' for her artistic contributions.

In 1923, White enrolled at Elam. A year and a half later, in 1925, A.J.C Fisher became the director of the school. White credited Fisher as one of her strongest influences, saying he inspired her to use painting and design to express ideas.

Career In 1928, White graduated from Elam and became a part-time tutor at the school, teaching the junior drawing classes. She was soon asked to settle her superannuation entitlements and take early retirement.

Art During her time as a teacher, before her overseas travels, White had worked alongside painter John Weeks, whom she considered a friend. War Makers is currently on display in the Modern Women: Flight of Time exhibition at Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki.

White was one of the founders of the New Group in 1948, a somewhat conservative group of artists concentrating on traditional form and draughtsmanship, in opposition to the younger contemporary artists of The Group, who were pursuing modernist and abstract forms. She was still viewed as a relatively conservative artist, even in her own opinion, until her work was reappraised through solo exhibitions in 1977 and, after her death, in 1994.

Recently, her work has been reevaluated, and critics have noted the considerable range of styles she pursued during her artistic career, including classical, decorative, social realist, expressionist, fanciful, and pastoral.