Tony Fomison: Life of an Artist w/ author Mark Forman: 21st March, 2025

In a career spanning three decades, Tony Fomison was a notable New Zealand painter, whose works were often dark, and who shed light on the human condition and reimagined life in Aotearoa.

Tony Fomison: Life of the Artist is a new biography written by Mark Forman, published by Auckland University Press. In this biography - the first full one of its kind to be published - Forman draws on archival material and interviews with over 150 people, including Fomison’s family and close friends, leading contemporary artists, political activists, and art professionals. However, notably, due to the varying recollections of those who knew the artist, Forman had to leave reproductions of Fomison's unique paintings out of the book. 

Sofia spoke to Forman about what made him embark on this research, Fomison himself, and navigating representation of him.