Alfred O'Keeffe

Born in Victoria, Australia in 1858, Alfred Henry O’Keeffe moved with his family to Dunedin in 1866. He trained initially as a cabinet maker, later helping his father run the Liverpool Arms Hotel. He developed his interest in art studying part-time in evening classes at the Dunedin School of Art for five years in the 1880s , and exhibited at the Otago Art Society. A visit to Australia in the early 1890s prompted the desire to undertake further training in France, studying at the Académie Julian alongside C. F. Goldie from 29 June 1894. Upon his return to New Zealand in 1896 – and needing to support his family – he took on duties as a country publican and his art career was largely abandoned. It was only in 1905, when he returned to Dunedin, that he began to exhibit again widely, to take portrait commissions and teach at the Dunedin School of Art and Design. O’Keeffe became particularly known for his portraits, including self-portraits, and flower studies.

This biography draws on: https://teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/3o3/okeeffe-alfred-henry