John Drawbridge (1930-2005) was one of New Zealand's most significant visual artists. Wellington was central to Drawbridge's life and art. He worked in mediums as diverse as oil and watercolour painting, large public murals, printmaking and stained glass. Born in Karori, and after a stint in London and Paris, he moved to Island Bay where he worked from his home for 40 years. For 30 of those years Drawbridge juggled his own art practice with teaching at Wellington Polytechnic, which ran the nation’s leading school of design. Drawbridge created significant national and international public art works, notably the 42 metre long Beehive Mural (Banquet Hall, Parliament) and the 9 metre long Expo '70 mural for the NZ Pavilion in Osaka, Japan, housed for many years in the foyer of the National Library. In 1978 he was awarded with an M.B.E, a Member of the British Empire.

Drawbridge’s approach to life was inquisitive and exploratory in nature and his art was no different. Through one path of investigation he wished to challenge levels of perception (visual or otherwise) while simultaneously delving into art history, either to pay homage to or to glean information from masters like Rembrandt or Matisse. Drawbridge was keen on connecting the dots between great art and artists and within the human experience as a whole. He saw himself as a valid part of the international story of art, not just as a pillar within the New Zealand scene.