The Pandora Project started not with a plan, but with a response.

In the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle, Helen Dynes began running art sessions for people in the community.

A middle-aged woman with short, gray hair holding a glass of rosé wine, smiling, indoors with a plant in the background.
A middle-aged woman with short, gray hair holding a glass of rosé wine, smiling, indoors with a plant in the background.

About Helen Dynes

Helen has had a lifelong relationship with art. From childhood, there was never any other consideration.

Born in Ireland and educated in England, she completed a Masters of Arts in 1983 and has taught art in tertiary education across the UK and New Zealand for over 30 years — including Art as Therapy at Hawke's Bay Regional Prison.

She emigrated to New Zealand in 2003 and has built a significant body of work here. Primarily a people painter, Helen works in oils and acrylics — drawn to the human figure, the interplay of light and shadow, and the techniques of the Old Masters. Her work is held in private collections throughout New Zealand and overseas.

Helen tutors weekly at Creative Arts Napier, has led numerous sell-out workshops and retreats around Hawke's Bay, and has painted directly from life at the Florence Academy of Fine Arts. But her main motivation has always been people.

"I get excited when I learn something new and I'm generous with my knowledge. It cascades — keeps things moving."

Helen believes art is a form of therapy. She saw the evidence of that firsthand in her Art Recovery classes after Cyclone Gabrielle. The Pandora Project grew directly from that experience.

“If we seek, we have the potential to unlock and express our true, authentic selves”
— Helen Dynes
Colorful paint portrait of a woman with platinum blonde hair and blue eyes, set against a vibrant abstract background.
A portrait of a woman with long, wavy blonde hair and a metallic silver crown, with an intense gaze and dark lipstick, painted in shades of blue and black.
Painting of a blue and white ceramic pitcher surrounded by three apples on a white cloth, with a black background.
Black and white sketch of a woman with wavy hair, large eyes, and full lips, surrounded by butterfly drawings.
Painting of a man with dark curly hair and thick eyebrows, wearing a black jacket with a white collar, against a colorful background of green, yellow, and blue hues.
Andre - 2019 - Florence, Italy.
A colorful mural depicting two men with a gold and brown background, featuring swirling patterns. One man is sitting with a confident expression, wearing glasses, a light blue shirt, striped shorts, and black high-heeled ankle boots. The other man is
Black and white photo of four ballet dancers practicing in a studio. One dancer is resting on a barre with her leg extended outward. Three dancers are performing different poses near the barre, with one balancing on one leg with arms extended, one wi
Ballet dancer in a white tutu leaning forward on stage with a dark background.
A woman with short reddish hair, wearing a black jacket and gloves, is working with paintbrushes on an art project or craft at a table. A person beside her is observing. The setting appears to be a craft or art studio.

Ready to get creative?

If you want to reclaim your inner creativity at last, there is no better way to do so, than joining one of Helen’s Pandora Project workshops, or private tuition opportunities.

One to one mentoring with Helen can also be arranged for yourself or as a gift to another.

LET'S CHAT

Biography

  • Born in Ireland. Lives and works in Hawke's Bay.

  • BA Hons Graphic Design, Birmingham, 1982 Master of Arts, Birmingham, 1983 Post Graduate Certificate of Further Education, 1989

  • New Zealand Portrait Gallery — Adam Portraiture Award, finalist 2020 People's Choice Award — 'Feast in Red', Hastings

  • National Portrait Gallery NZ tour · Gilded Leaf · Red Peach Gallery · Creative Arts Napier · Quay Gallery · Viva Collective Gallery · Hastings Community Gallery · Artist's Room Dunedin · Original Art Sale Auckland · Affordable Arts Wellington · St James Theatre Wellington

  • Featured printmaker in PROOF: Two Decades of Printmaking — Print Council of Aotearoa New Zealand Featured artist in Aotearoa Artist — NZ Artist Magazine

  • Participant, Hawke's Bay Arts Trial — 18 years RNZB Artist in Residence, St James Studio, Wellington, 2012 Resident Artist, Napier Library Florence Academy of Fine Arts for Realist Painters, Florence — 2016 & 2019 Viva Art Collective Art Selector — 2007, 2016, 2018, 2019 Multiple printmaking courses, Quay School of the Arts, Whanganui

    Donated her etching press Matilda — an 1850s converted mangle from Wolverhampton — to the Faraday Museum of Technology, Napier.