Ngā mihi o te Tau Hou!
We’re closing at 5pm today. Start your new year immersed in art – we’ll see you bright and breezy on New Year’s Day from 10am.
Kā Kaupapa o te Wā
What’s On
Raymond McIntyre: A Modernist View
New exhibition now open.
Living Archives
Archives that tell stories about artists and history in Aotearoa
Whāia te Taniwha
Māori artists consider the enduring relevance of taniwha in Aotearoa.
E tuwhera ana te wharetoi i kā rā e 7 o te wiki, 10am - 5pm
Ka tuwhera ki te 9pm i kā pō Wenerei
Open 7 days, 10am - 5pm
Late night Wednesday until 9pm
Uruka utukore, ahokore utukore
Free entry, free wifi
Collection
Grant Lingard The Collector of Beauty: The Discerning Eye
Presented like a trophy for our enjoyment and inspection, the tin butterfly trapped in this large glass jar suggests the ephemerality of attraction; what was once natural, captivating and beautiful soon begins to fade when deprived of its freedom. Above it, in a panel painted with shimmering blue eye shadow, another kind of beauty – synthetic and superficial, but perhaps equally seductive – is preserved .
Collection
Grant Lingard Heavenly: The Collector of Beauty
Presented like a trophy for our enjoyment and inspection, the tin butterfly trapped in this large glass jar suggests the ephemeral nature of attraction; what was once natural, captivating and beautiful soon begins to fade when deprived of its freedom. Above it, in a panel painted with black mascara - an unnatural, but equally effective, tool of seduction - is preserved .
Collection
Jeffrey Harris Woman in Garden
Woman in Garden is one of the earliest works included in Patricia Bosshard-Browne’sgift of Jeffrey’s work. A lone figure stands in a garden – it’s a variation of a motif that has recurred throughout his career, including his most recent paintings. The trees, flowers and grass are evocatively naïve and highlight the largely self-taught nature of his art, learning from art books as he delved into his own highly personal imagery and techniques.
(Jeffrey Harris: The Gift, 1 October 2022 – 12 March 2023)
Collection
Bert Tornquist Albany
Herbert Tornquist studied under Edward Friström at the Elam School of Art between 1910 and 1915 and, after time spent in Canada, England and the United States, settled back in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland where he eventually established a photography studio in 1925. Bert became one of the country’s most successful portrait photographers at the time, and was also committed to his printmaking practice. He was an active member of the Quoin Club, and his views of the landscapes around Auckland, Te Tai Tokerau Northland and Te Tara-o-te-Ika a Māui Coromandel from this time are refreshingly energised, using simple yet striking contrasts of black and white tones.
Ink on Paper: Aotearoa New Zealand Printmakers of the Modern Era, 11 February – 28 May 2023
Collection
Jeffrey Harris Deposition
Jeffrey’s drawings and etchings are among some of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most memorable and extraordinary graphic work. Deposition is rich with dream-like imagery, amplified through the intensity of incredibly detailed marks and patterns that form the backdrop to the composition. There’s a vulnerability to many of the figures, who are hunched over in foetal positions, standing with hands held over eyes; a dead body is carried away reflecting the deposition of the title. Power poles double up as crosses in the landscape, some symbolising the outstretched arms of Jesus crucified. But there are also many tender moments in this work, like a couple in a loving intimate embrace and men bearing flowers.
(Jeffrey Harris: The Gift, 1 October 2022 – 12 March 2023)
Collection
Heidi Brickell Kūtorohia these uaua
Heidi Brickell’s works reflect on relationships, and how the language that connects them can slip and slide between multiple meanings. The title of this painting blends te reo Māori and English, and refers to how you might clench or engage your muscles for a journey. That physical shift in energy echoes the mental engagement that comes with a desire to learn or communicate. Heidi overlays different materials to suggest bodily forms like hands, muscles and brain. Presenting the canvas as a pātiki (diamond) rather than the more-typical square adds to the sense of movement and creates a new space for the sharing of ideas
(Perilous: Unheard Stories from the Collection, 6 August 2022- 21 July 2024)