NZ painter in online art showdown

Nelson-born artist Charles Olsen is one of 12 finalists in the UK-based Saatchi Showdown, established by art collector and impresario Charles Saatchi. Olsen’s oil painting ‘La Sundari’, a portrait of a flamenco dancer on large wooden shutters, won its initial round in the viewer-voted online competition, and has now entered the final knockout phase. Olsen has been based in Madrid for the past four years, where he runs Myspace pages promoting NZ and Spanish artists: ‘Aotearoa Artists’ and ‘Artistas de EspaÒa’. “For me painting a portrait, accompanying a flamenco dancer with the guitar, learning a new language, or organising an exhibition, all challenge me personally in different ways and trying to increase my chances in this competition is just another challenge,” he said of the Saatchi Showdown. The overall winner is announced August 26.