Darren Tautari was born in 1976 growing up around coastal Dunedin/Otago.

Spending countless hours surfing and swimming around the many beaches of Otago it wasn't till later in his life that Darren decided to blend his two greatest passions in life, the ocean and painting.

Being a self-taught artist he spent many hours honing his skills mainly focusing on water and waves and after his first solo exhibition in 2008 was a sell-out, Tautari hasn't looked back since.

These days Darren continues to work from his studio in South Canterbury, predominantly working in oils, influenced by the layering techniques of the masters.

In his short career Tautari has achieved a number of sell-out shows around New Zealand, and continues to commission works nationally and internationally including Canada, Singapore, United Kingdom to name a few.

2012 was a breakout year for Darren. His painting "Still Waters" {pictured below} was awarded second place in the prestigious bi-annual Hope and Son's art awards.