Biography

"I am a Kai Tahu māori artist, born and raised in Dunedin, surrounded by the Tikanga of my tipuna.
​Throughout my own school years I loved art and studied art at high school then art history at university.
Originally a primary school teacher in Oamaru, I spent much of my teaching career teaching young people how to create art works and fostering their love of art.
Between 2000 and 2014 I spent each Wednesday evening travelling to Dunedin to attend night classes at the Otago Polytechnic in both Life Drawing and Printmaking, and it was here that my love of printmaking was cemented and in 2015, I took the opportunity to complete a post graduate diploma in Printmaking at the Otago Polytechnic School of Art.
Upon returning to school and teaching I felt that my own passion for art was once again being sidelined and so made the decision leave teaching to pursue my own career as a full-time artist. Then after a conversation with a friend, who had recently bought a group of shops in Wansbeck Street, Oamaru - I was invited to join him in creating a studio and Gallery in this historic building.
'The Terraces Art Gallery' was my studio space from 2016 -2023 - working in this space created many opportunities for ideas to develop and prints to be created.
Since then I have held a solo exhibition at the Forrester Gallery in Oamaru, and have been a part of a highly successful collaboration (Te Piwakawaka) alongside painter Tyler Kennedy Stent, - exhibiting these collab pieces at The Artists Room in Dunedin where these and my own work can be viewed and purchased."

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Al Bell's beautiful limited edition prints are etchings on hand-embossed fine art paper. These small editions have often sold out 24 hours after release.
Bells' works are now in many private collections across Aotearoa and overseas. He is currently working on pieces to be housed in a Government Department building in Dunedin.

He has now relocated to Central Otago where he lives and works from a studio in Lake Hawea.

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