Ell Violet, Louise Beryl and Francine Besas, three young Wellington artists have had payments withheld from them after they exhibited their works in Matchbox on Cuba St.

Aspiring artists say they haven't been paid by a Wellington store owner and that they have been waiting for more than a year after selling works during a string of exhibitions.

Francine Besas said she was one of many artists repeatedly ignored by business owner Cherry Holahan of Matchbox Studios for payment of their exhibited and sold items.

When Stuff paid a visit to the shop it was empty and Holahan said on Friday the business, Matchbox Studios Ltd, was in liquidation. According to the Companies Office, the company was not in liquidation, as of Friday evening.

Holahan would not comment on the amount of money owed, or number of people affected by her closing the business, saying: "That's between the liquidator and, it's not public."

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The studio was on upper Cuba St before it downsized, scrapped the adjoining gallery and relocated to Left Bank off Cuba St at the end of last year.

ROBERT KITCHIN/STUFF The Matchbox store that recently opened in Left Bank off Cuba St has since closed.

When asked if Matchbox clients had been contacted about the store's closure Holahan said a "liquidator" would be in touch in "due course".

She was asked if she had received emails from artists which repeatedly asked to finalise payments. She said: "I get lots of emails. I do speak to people." Before adding, "no comment".

She said in the six months leading up to the store's closure 90 per cent of those who were owed had been paid but acknowledged there were others who hadn't received their money.

LOUISE BERYL Louise Beryl's exhibition at Matchbox Studios before it closed its stores.

Closing the store was "more ethical" than continuing on and she had tried "everything".

"We've closed due to overheads, rent, GST. We have fought over the last year or so to get back on top. I know it's an unfortunate situation."

Besas' show, Pigment, was held at the Cuba St shop's adjoining gallery over March and April last year. Her watercolour paintings were works dedicated to her late grandmother and the Philippines, where Besas grew up.

ROBERT KITCHIN/STUFF Ell Violet, Louise Beryl and Francine Besas, three young Wellington artists have had payments withheld from them after they exhibited their works in Matchbox on Cuba St.

She sold 18 pieces and had given up on the fight for the money owed to her when she says she came across at least a dozen other artists who had not been paid or had late and partial payments after their exhibitions.

Besas did not know the store had gone into liquidation and had not received any response from Holahan since October last year.

She said she lost money as a result of holding her first exhibition at Matchbox, having initially chosen the studio for its visibility and community feel but the experience left her disheartened.

FRANCINE BESAS Francine Besas created watercolour works which she then sold as prints at the Matchbox Studios exhibition space before it closed.

Besas paid a $190 fee for the space, agreed to a 25 per cent commission and 15 per cent tax deduction on pieces sold during the Matchbox exhibition, less than half the $448.87 owed was paid following the show's closure.

"It's just been too difficult to get a hold of Cherry. It's happened to so many people. I just didn't know what else to do."

Ell Violet and Louise Beryl were both "graduate artists" when they exhibited at Matchbox. They said the lack of communication, late or lack of payments by Holahan under Matchbox was "unprofessional".

ROBERT KITCHIN/STUFF Matchbox Studio had been cleared out as of Friday.

Beryl said she was paid in December but the 10-month delay was not acceptable.

Violet had not received payment after her January 2017 exhibition. Despite being owed under $100 she wanted to speak out on principle because she said the business had advertised itself to struggling students.

Matchbox Studios' terms and conditions said it would pay artists the amounts owed within 31 days of an exhibition's close.

Matchbox was opened in 2012.