John Weeks was born in Devonshire, England. His family sailed to New Zealand in 1892, arriving when he was aged six. His parents ran a dairy farm for several years near Te Awamutu, before settling in rural Northcote, Auckland where the family home was to remain. Weeks soon embarked on part time classes at Elam Art School from 1907-1909 while working as a signwriter. In the years prior to World War I, Weeks visited England with his family, sketched throughout New South Wales, and took classes at Sydney Technical College. He returned home in 1915 and later enlisted with the New Zealand Medical Corps in early 1917.

Returning from Britain in late 1919, the artist entered a busy period exhibiting nationally and attracting attention and praise. He also taught signwriting and lettering classes alongside parttime study at Canterbury College School of Art, then under the directorship of Archibald Nicoll. In 1923 Weeks travelled to Edinburgh where he lodged with the artist Francis McCracken. He attended Edinburgh College of Art, and the Royal Scottish Academy of Painting where he took life classes. Weeks exhibited with the Academy, and in 1924 his paintings featured in the New Zealand display of the British Exhibition at Wembley. The following year Weeks left for Paris, enrolling in André Lhôte's Académy Montparnasse in 1926. The School attracted many international students keen to learn Lhôte's approach to art and Cubism. At this time Weeks painted in a largely post-impressionist manner, his subjects often canals and street scenes. Weeks returned again to Lhôte's Academy with enthusiasm in early 1929 after a long trip through Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia via the South of France, Italy and Corsica. On his return to New Zealand he began teaching in1930 at Auckland's Elam School of Art, retiring in 1954.

A diverse and well respected artist, he was widely regarded as a leading painter and teacher in Auckland in the 1930s and 1940s, and a significant figure in national art. Many artists, including Louise Henderson, sought his advice. Weeks lost around 200 works in a fire at Elam in early 1949. He continued to paint while teaching, caring for his father and managing the family property. In 1954 he took part in the Auckland Art Gallery's Object and Image exhibition along with Louise Henderson, Colin McCahon, Milan Mrkusich, Ross Fraser and Michael Nicholson. A touring retrospective exhibition of Week's work, was held in 1955. Ronald O'Reilly, Christchurch City Librarian and art critic, deemed it … a magnificent and monumental show. Weeks received an O.B.E for his services to painting in 1958.

Kyla Mackenzie