Tanja McMillan

Last updated
Tanja McMillan (Misery)
Tanja McMillan 2025, Auckland.jpg
McMillan in 2025
Born
Tanja Jade Thompson

1982 (age 42–43)
Maryborough, Australia
NationalityAustralia, New Zealand
Known forpainting, drawing, sculpture
Styletattoo style, graffiti, kimo-kawaii
SpouseTom McMillan (Tom Tom)

Tanja Jade McMillan (born Tanja Jade Thompson, also Tanja Jade, and Misery; 1982) is a graffiti artist and painter of Tahitian and Chinese descent [1] best known as Misery, based in Auckland, New Zealand. [2] [3]

Contents

"Thief" (2015) by McMillan and John Oz, one of two sculptures located on Karangahape Road, Auckland Thief 20231207 165758 02.jpg
"Thief" (2015) by McMillan and John Oz, one of two sculptures located on Karangahape Road, Auckland
Misery on the cover of Verve, April 2022 issue Misery on the cover of Verve, April 2022 issue 185.jpg
Misery on the cover of Verve, April 2022 issue

Art career

McMillan was born in Maryborough, Australia. She started painting as Misery in 1997 at Auckland Metropolitan College, where she became friends with fellow student Elliot O'Donnell, best known as Askew, who given McMillan the name Misery. [4] [5]

In 2010, McMillan temporarily abandoned the name Misery at age 28 when she felt the brand was consuming her [6] by ceremonially auctioning off the last of the Misery works at Webb's auction house in Auckland. [4]

McMillan has since reclaimed the name Misery and describes her style as kimo-kawaii, creepy and cute in Japanese. [7] Her husband is well known New Zealand tattoo artist Tom McMillan, best known as Tom Tom. [8]

There are two bronze sculptures named Twist and Thief by McMillan on Karangahape Road, commissioned by Auckland Council to be part of Auckland Council Art Collection in collaboration with John Oz. [9] McMillan have collaborated with many well known designers and brands, such as New Balance, [10] Blunt, [11] Bitra, Casio Baby-G, Telecom, Serato and Piaggio. [12]

McMillan has been shown extensively in New Zealand and internationally such as Berlin, Taiwan, Melbourne, Paris, Hawaii and Los Angeles. [13]

Selected solo exhibitions

Selected group exhibitions

References

  1. ↑ "Misery/Tanja Jade". TMD CREW. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
  2. ↑ RUSSELL, NICOLA (2010-11-06). "She's moving on from Misery". Stuff. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
  3. ↑ Newton, Katie (2018-08-09). "Kimo-kawaii: Where creepy and cute meet". Stuff. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
  4. 1 2 3 RUSSELL, NICOLA (2010-11-06). "She's moving on from Misery". Stuff. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
  5. ↑ "Misery/Tanja Jade". TMD CREW. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
  6. ↑ RUSSELL, NICOLA (2010-11-02). "It's time to end Misery". Stuff. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
  7. ↑ Newton, Katie (2018-08-09). "Kimo-kawaii: Where creepy and cute meet". Stuff. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
  8. ↑ Bell, Kyle (2016-10-06). "Against the Grain: How Tom Tom Founded Sunset Tattoo from a Self-Made Accident". Concrete Playground. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
  9. ↑ Oz, Tanja McMillan, John. "Thief". Auckland Public Art. Retrieved 2023-11-10.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  10. ↑ "Auckland artist Misery's 'New Balance'". Remix Magazine. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
  11. ↑ FNZ (2019-07-22). "Blunt Umbrellas release covetable collaboration with Misery". FashioNZ. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
  12. ↑ "Creative Mornings with Misery". Concrete Playground. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
  13. ↑ "WHAU RIVER – TANJA MCMILLAN (MISERY) - News". LynnMall. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
  14. ↑ "Tanja McMillan at Bergman Gallery | Artsdiary 4358". artsdiary.co.nz. Retrieved 2025-09-20.
  15. ↑ "Tanja McMillan: All tomorrow's... | Exhibitions | MutualArt". www.outregallery.com. Retrieved 2024-10-09.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 "Tanya McMillan (Misery)". MutualArt. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
  17. ↑ "Fountain of Flowers by Tanja McMillan (Misery)". 12 Gallery. 2021-07-30. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
  18. ↑ "Misery and her Tang Tang Ladies". Outré Gallery. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
  19. ↑ "Showing at Ponsonby Central". Ponsonby News (03-05-2013): 132. May 2013.
  20. ↑ "Exhibitions". Backwoods Gallery. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
  21. ↑ "Life lessons: Tanja Jade aka Misery". NZ Herald. 2023-11-10. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
  22. ↑ "Heart of Misery Exhibition Launches at Plaything Gallery". Designer Direction - Home of NZ Fashion. 2009-08-13. Retrieved 2025-09-25.
  23. ↑ "Misery's loves - Lifestyle News". NZ Herald. Retrieved 2025-09-24.
  24. ↑ "Mighty Monster Masquerade". UnderTheRadarNZ. Retrieved 2025-09-24.
  25. ↑ "Dreamland awaits". Meer. 2025-04-25. Retrieved 2025-09-25.
  26. ↑ "Bergman at Aotearoa Art Fair". Artnow. Retrieved 2025-09-20.
  27. ↑ Mahajan, Praneeta (2024-07-12). "Artists to showcase Asian Heritage at Bergman Gallery". indiannewslink.co.nz. Retrieved 2024-10-09.
  28. ↑ "Bergman Gallery | Aotearoa Art Fair 2024". Artnow. Retrieved 2024-10-09.
  29. ↑ "Horizon". Artnow. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
  30. ↑ "Opening: A Place To Call Home". Artnow. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
  31. ↑ Woods, Reuben (2022-04-13). "Showtime!" . Retrieved 2023-11-10.
  32. ↑ "Exhibition: Daisy Chain Collective| Bunch - Auckland - Eventfinda". www.eventfinda.co.nz. Retrieved 2025-09-25.
  33. ↑ Museum, The Dowse Art (2023-03-20). "The Most Dedicated: An Aotearoa Graffiti Story". dowse.org.nz. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
  34. ↑ "The Maxx Dose | Corban Estate Arts Centre". ceac.org.nz. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
  35. ↑ Woods, Reuben (2020-10-28). "Perspective: Women in Urban Art @ Fiksate Studio & Gallery" . Retrieved 2023-11-10.
  36. ↑ Yoshino, Aaron K. (2020-03-05). "2020 Marks 10 Years of Pow! Wow!, the Now-Global Street-Art Festival That Originated in Hawai'i". Honolulu Magazine. Retrieved 2025-09-25.
  37. ↑ "Marvelous Expeditions". Thinkspace Projects. Retrieved 2025-09-25.
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