Rita Angus Retirement Village

Each Ryman village is named in honour of a Kiwi or Aussie trailblazer: Anthony Wilding, Lady Diana Isaac, Evelyn Page. They pushed further and set the bar high for others to aspire to. In creating communities that challenge the expectations of ageing, Ryman villages are also setting the bar high. They’re demonstrating that a retirement lifestyle brimming with new experiences, connections and fulfilment is something we should aspire to. Our Kiwi and Aussie namesakes represent the measure of inspiration, while Ryman villages represent the measure of retirement living.

Rita Angus (1908-1970)

Rita Angus was an exceptional New Zealand painter and a leader of the twentieth-century art scene. Committed and inspiring, Rita prompted many other artists to reconsider their painting style and work ethic.

Primarily using oil and watercolour, she is best known for her unique landscapes and portraits of New Zealand scenery. She carried reservations about following trends, committing instead to displaying and defending her own painting style.

During the 1930s and 40s, the artist painted many scenes from Canterbury and Central Otago. One of her best known and loved pieces is Cass, painted in 1936, which was voted as New Zealand’s most loved painting in a 2006 television poll. The distinctive painting of a Canterbury landscape received critical acclaim in 1940 when it was exhibited at the National Centennial Exhibition of New Zealand Art.

The eldest of 7 children, Rita was a pacifist whose beliefs shone through in her work during the 1940s wartime. She purposefully avoided any artistic reference to war, with the philosophical intention that her art was to “create life and not destroy it”.

After her death, Rita’s reputation continued to flourish as evidenced by the National Art Gallery’s artist-dedicated exhibition in 1982.

For further insight into the moments that shaped Rita’s life, Rita Angus: An Artist’s Life by Jill Trevelyan paints a clear picture of the artist’s vibrant life story.