Year: 2025

Meet the Artist: Jamie Te Heuheu, STARKWHITE

We spoke with artist Jamie Te Heuheu (Ngāti Tūwharetoa), about his current exhibition with STARKWHITE. Read on to discover more about Jamie’s creative journey.

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Looking back, what moments or experiences set you on the path to becoming an artist?

There are so many… The earliest is when changing high schools in my final year, and being unsure of what to do after graduating. I had a supportive and enthusiastic art teacher who encouraged me to consider art school. Of course, when I arrived it wasn’t easy. I was told that I lacked fundamental drawing skills and would struggle to get into painting the following year, while it was hard criticism to take in, it was the kick I needed. I proved that lecturer wrong in the end, we have a good relationship now too! He’s a big supporter of my practice.

One moment I reflected on often was the first time I encountered Painting 1972 by Milan Mrkusich, at the Christchurch Art Gallery, it was the first time I experienced that ineffablepower that artworks can have, it really shifted the furniture and changed how I appreciate, and encounter works of art. It’s an experience that I hope my works cause other people to have.

And lastly, it’s the many people that I have met along the way, I’m really fortunate to have formed many friendships that have supported me to be where I am today.

You’ve described this series as a “deep dive into colour theory” – what have you learned or unlearned about colour through this process?

I’ve been thinking about colour theory in two ways, the practical side of colour mixing and the psychological and emotional impact of colour.

Prior to this exhibition, while my recent works have explored colour almost exclusively, most of the paints I used were created from trial and error, using an emotional response to the paint to decide if it was right or not, I never really slowed down to understand and take note of how I created these colours.

For this exhibition, I spent time researching limited colour palettes used by artist such as Anders Zorn, famous for only using four colours. While my palette differs significantly from his, studying these constraints helped me think more intentionally about my choices, creating boundaries that challenged and expanded my approach.

So, for the current body of work I wanted to slow down and revisit the basics, in order to deepen my understanding of how colours interact, of how colours combine create new hues, tints, shades, and tones, and how subtle changes can alter our response to the work.

The other side is that I view colour not just as a visual element, but as a way to express emotion, evoke a sense of place, and convey the complexities of feeling. I’ve been thinking more and more, especially as I start to investigate multipaneled painting, I’ve been paying attention to how colours interact with one another, how the tension and/or harmony between these colours effect our read of the work.

While I’m classed as a colourist, I’ve still got a lot to learn, it could be a lifelong investigation.

What kind of experience do you hope viewers have when they spend time with your work?

I have intentions in mind when I create the works, the associations I want, whether they are emotive or historical, and sometimes the works themselves can evoke that, but sometimes they don’t, and that’s fine too.

But, when it comes to exhibiting the work, my thinking is much more in tuned with the minimalist. The meaning is not inherent in the object itself, but rather it emerges from the viewer’s interaction with it and their personal interpretation. What I want to do to is create work that slows down the viewing experience, artworks which change as you move around it; where colours are elusive, changing with your position and with the surrounding light. I want the works to reward a longer viewing experience, and in turn changes how you, the viewer, thinks and feels. The titles are there to help the viewer find a way in, should they need it.

Pictured: Jamie Te Heuheu, You and I In Unison (Installation View), 2025

Is there a colour you’re drawn to again and again, even unintentionally?

Black and dark blues, I’m not sure why, they remind me of the ocean on a stormy day, where the sea and the sky almost merge into one on the distant horizon. I’d like to paint it one day, to replicate that feeling of experiencing it. It’s powerful, dramatic and quite contemplative.

How do you imagine yourself, your practice, to look in 10 years time?

Tough Question! It’s great to have a game plan written up a few different directions. A few years ago I could only imagine I would be supported by my current galleries and I still can’t believe I am where I am now. I often to have to stop a moment and appreciate it all.

I have so many ideas that I am still figuring out quite how to pull off, so I hope my practice is continuing to evolve as I continue to push myself, my boundaries and deepen my research.

Currently, I am balancing a full-time job, a busy practice and everything else in life. I’d love to have a financially sustainable practice and a sustainable balance in life where I can focus and devote more time and energy to my practice, and time to the many things that inform my practice; though I’d hope this is much sooner than 10 years.

I’d love to exhibit internationally, take part in residencies, and find ways to contribute to the eco-system around me, especially by supporting the next generation of emerging artist.

Pictured: Jamie Te Heuheu, You and I In Unison (Installation View), 2025

Meet the Artist: Gerard Dombroski, Season

We spoke with architect and artist Gerard Dombroski, about his current exhibition with Season. Read on to discover more about Gerard’s creative journey.

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What first drew you to making art, and how has your practice evolved over time?

A lot of my childhood was spent making things in the woolshed, so I think I have an innate need to make things. I also have a lot of ideas that I want to see realised, and the easiest way to see them come to life has proven to be doing it myself.

I began more seriously making objects a few years into working at my first architecture job. While it started with a love of furniture, it quickly developed into more complex questions.. It went through a period where I saw my workshop as a design gym, a place where I could make and then question, I was attracted to the fast feedback loop and thought I could teach myself to be a better designer this way. Later I rationalised it as architecture research as I started to look for more conceptual ideas.

Furniture started to feel too “furniture-y,” and I found the questions I wanted to answer were moving into the realm of material experimentation and juxtapositions, e.g., hard things looking soft. Some of my favourite architecture seemed to be buildings whose structure was tied directly to its architecture, in this way they were very material driven and process based, but also buildings which offered an unexpecting experience or moment really caught my attention. So, in a rambling way to answer the question architecture led me to art but I did not know that at the time.

Now I am running an architecture practice upstairs and a predominantly sculptural practice downstairs. I can assure you it is not the simplest way to make a living but it is incredibly engaging artistically and allows me to propose ideas I might not otherwise consider.

You move between art, design, and architecture, how do those different approaches shape the way you think about and create sculpture?

Being an architect can be all encompassing and it really is a monocle through which you see the world so I can say with confidence that I view all my practice as architecture just at different scales. I think the different titles are helpful for people interacting with it but in my mind, I am just playing with a spectrum of domestic and structural elements all imagined to work as or with architecture. It may be a reference to architecture, for example a work I have at Season is called Chimney which is a reference to the wedge like chimneys on old DOC huts. Or it may be designed to work within architecture like a large vase that reads like a table.

As another thought the show, I was lucky enough to contribute to at Objectspace by Octavia Cook, we discussed architecture as an object that could perhaps be viewed as jewellery on the landscape. I think my introduction to the artistic world has allowed me to view things through an architectural lens but also to view architecture through a jeweller’s or potter’s lens as an example. I think this can become an incredible design tool.

While I drift away from time to time, I try to gear my making towards architectural experimentation and research. Structural systems, material experiments and most importantly touch, personal interaction and the idea of an object as a special tool. A large blue couch I made a few years ago I imagined almost as a landscape — something you could push together and inhabit like a pool.

Pictured: Gerard Dombroski, Inflation (Installation View), 2025. Courtesy of Season by Samuel Hartnett.

What inspired you to start using high-pressure water to inflate steel for these works at Season, and what do you enjoy about the process?

You may laugh but I enjoy a YouTube channel run by a British guy called Colin Furze. He is a very clever, mechanically minded person. He once made an object by welding two sheets of steel together and then inflating it with a water blaster. Around that time, I was making a café in Wellington in which I made steel curtains – sheets of metal flat along the top and pressed at the base so they draped like a curtain. These were then repeated along the wall of the café. This was an early experiment creating something visually soft out of a hard material and I thought to myself, watching this video, that I could make something very fabric looking, cushions. My mind was blown. This opened a whole new line of enquiry for me that I am still working through.

Something I love about the process is the giving up of control. I weld my shape together and then let the hydroforming do the rest, this is sometimes effortless, and other times incredibly frustrating as the shape may be too complex and the weld, at a certain point, is under too much stress – so it springs a leak before it has taken on a decent shape.

Pictured: Gerard Dombroski, Inflation (Installation View), 2025. Courtesy of Season by Samuel Hartnett.

Your sculptures often resemble playful, exaggerated versions of everyday objects. What draws you to making things that feel both familiar and strange?

I am very happy that is what comes across. I came across an artist called Porky Hefer during architecture school and he has been a good reminder for me to inject joy and the unexpected into my work. Combined with my architectural angle I often end up drawing on domestic elements. Imitation, I imagine also makes work relate to people, whether its nostalgia or someone sees the object within, the ease of understanding appeals to me. In the architecture world we can design from a conceptually dense place but sometimes we do not give people a bridge to know or even ask if there is more, they may just see a building. For example, I Made a café at the aquatic centre in Wellington where the café is entirely blue from floor to table height and white above. All the table tops are rounded wiggling shapes -‘ripples’. The café concept as you may have guessed, is a ‘swimming pool’ and I hope it is so obvious young children can engage with the whimsy and run around pretending they are swimming.

Looking ahead, where do you see your practice in 10 years, and what kinds of ideas or materials do you hope to explore?

I hope to have a practice where art and architecture weave together fluidly, in service of each other or imitating one another. I am deeply inspired by past architects who felt the need to design everything they could get their hands on, and hope to deepen my involvement in built projects. I think I am finally at a place where my office is equipped to bring that level of engagement and craft to any scale of a project – for example, knives and forks. I hope to meet a whole host of interesting people that want to go on exciting architectural and sculptural journeys in and beyond New Zealand.

My architecture practice currently has a community project where, to bring a depth of meaning to the very artistic community, I am proposing a living sculptural wall. A cladding that is designed to house and present a mass of curated community made sculptures and objects. I think this could bring both a unique architecture for the community and more individual meaning in a public building.

In the short term however, I am looking to upscale the hydroforming sculptural works into architecture. This will initially be through the construction of small-scale buildings such as sleepouts or back yard studios. This new scale of hydroforming is bound to bring a whole host of problems to solve, but that’s part of the fun. It also has the promise of an architecture I suspect has not been seen yet. I often wonder how far you could push this concept; I have been finding my self thinking of a long low mirrored rectangle house laying in the landscape, the reality of which is over 1million litres. This would comically need to be by a river or lake.

Fundamentally, I want to be creating architecture and objects that deliver the unexpected – in process and outcome – and that people feel they can interact with.

Dulux Colour Trends

Inspired by some of the Dulux NZ colours featured at the Fair?  Check out the latest Dulux Colour Trends. Warm neutrals, earthy yellows, soft green, and cool blues such as those featured within the Still palette, one of the three palettes from the Dulux Colour Forecast for 2025, will be a key colour direction as we head into the cooler months. This palette has an underlying warmth, offering the perfect stepping stone for those wanting to add rich and subtle colour to their home.

Explore the colour palette and order A4 colour swatches here: dulux.co.nz

Image features: Dulux Epsom, Kauri Cliffs Half and Clay Court

Meet Director and Curator Marcelle Joseph, Marcelle Joseph Projects

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How did your journey as a curator begin, and how long have you been working in this space?

My journey as a curator began in 2011 after I finished a degree in Art Business at Christie’s Education in London and launched Marcelle Joseph Projects, a nomadic curatorial platform that produced four or five exhibitions a year in various locations in the UK from galleries for hire in Shoreditch to stately gardens behind the former royal hunting lodge of King Henry VIII. I’m now over 50 exhibitions in and after finishing my MA in Art History in 2018 with a specialisation in feminist theory, I work exclusively as an independent curator, curating exhibitions for commercial galleries and museums. My curatorial focus has largely been the exploration of the performativity of gender by female-identifying and queer artists with material-led practices.

You’re widely recognized for championing women and queer artists. What sparked that focus for you, and how has it evolved over time?

The reason why I champion women artists is to explore my own subjectivity as a woman in this world and to redress the gender imbalance in the art world. Over time, I have embraced the fluidity of gender across the spectrum and resisted ingrained gender binaries that disenfranchise women and queer people. What I’m most interested in achieving across all my activities – whether it be curating, collecting or patronage – is the representation and support of artists who have been marginalised by the patriarchal canon. At the end of the day, I want to platform and invest in excellence, and excellence has no gender, race or class.

What words of wisdom would you offer to emerging curators trying to find their voice in today’s art world?

I started out working in a very DIY fashion, which I highly recommend. Back in 2011 and 2012, I had to find the venue for the exhibition, choose the artists, write theexhibition text, promote the exhibition, organise the transport, installation and photography of the artworks, and sell the work. I curated shows in so many different non-traditional spaces from a disused workshop in London’s Diamond District to private members’ clubs and country house hotels. I learned so much by doing and having to adapt to each new space. In terms of finding your voice, I recommend viewing as many exhibitions as you can, visiting as many artists’ studios as you can and reading as much as you can in your field of expertise or chosen research area.

If you could select three works from the Aotearoa Art Fair for your personal collection, what would they be—and what draws you to them?

I call my collection a “collection of conversations” as almost all the artworks in my collection were made by artists in my network or acquired from gallerists I know, respect and admire. So I would firstly choose one of the works from the Sanderson booth at the fair as they are showcasing women artists and Sanderson is run by a dear friend of mine, Lydia Cowpertwait. We co-curated a large group exhibition in London in 2013, featuring the work of 59 women artists from the collections of seven women collectors.

I would choose the painting Un-gardenesque (2024) by Molly Timmins, an artist of Māori heritage who uses the garden as her motif to question the colonial influence over both the garden and the history of painting as well as the way in which women have historically existed in these spaces within Aotearoa in the last century. I love the way this artist uses her own matrilinear biography in her practice. Her grandmother owned a Bromeliad business, which her mother runs to this day. Given the world we live in today that is always on the brink of ecological disaster, this return to nature in Timmins’ work is a place for restorative healing.


Image: Molly Timmins, Un-gardenesque, 2024

My second choice is a work from mothermother, a gallery in the Young section of the fair, as I love to support emerging galleries. It is a wall-based silicone and resin sculpture that depicts a pair of gendered breasts, complete with nipples that jut out from the work’s Perspex casement, begging to be touched by the viewer.  Titled Canons and made by Caitlin Devoy in 2024, this work jibes with my curatorial focus on identity politics and embodied lived experience. I love the artist’s use of humour and tactility to subversively examine sexist and binary attitudes to gender and bodies.


Image: Caitlin Devoy, Canons, 2024

My third choice is a ceramic sculpture by Virginia Leonard titled Urn 4 (2024) as I am drawn to material-led practices and absolutely adore ceramics. I love when you can see the artist’s hand in the making of an artwork. This work is presented by the Gow Langsford Gallery.


Image: Virginia Leonard, Urn 4, 2024

Looking ahead, what projects or exhibitions are on your radar for 2025?

In terms of visiting museum exhibitions, I look forward to visiting the Helen Chadwick exhibition at the Hepworth Wakefield in Yorkshire in the UK and the Ithell Colquhoun exhibition at Tate Modern. I will be in New York in May so I look forward to visiting the Hilma af Klint exhibition at the MoMA and the Amy Sherald exhibition at the Whitney. I am hoping to visit the São Paulo Biennial in Brazil in September. Fingers crossed! Otherwise, I have the third edition of the residency I co-founded and run coming up also in September 2025 in the Aquitaine region of southwestern France. Called the GIRLPOWER Residency, it offers three female-identifying or non-binary artists the chance to research, reflect and make work for one month in the rural countryside, outside the demands and distractions of studio life in a big city.

Featured Image: Independent curator and collector Marcelle Joseph at home in Ascot, UK with an artwork by Samara Scott. Photo: Gabrielle Cooper.

Meet Gallerist Kerry Won, Artor Contemporary

Can you tell us about how Artor Contemporary came into existence?

Artor Contemporary was founded from a deep-rooted love for both fine art and the quiet craftsmanship that brings it to life. After years working as photographers—both in Aotearoa and Australia—Rozenn and I felt the pull to return home and contribute to something more enduring. We envisioned a space where artists could share their voices freely, and where we could foster growth in a creative community we care deeply about. Artor is our way of giving shape to that vision—an offering to the art world, and a reflection of the path we’ve chosen to walk together.


Image: Artor Contemporary

Who are you bringing to the Aotearoa Art Fair and why?

For the Aotearoa Art Fair, we’re bringing together a group of artists whose work reflects both material sensitivity and conceptual clarity. Robyn Penn, Paul Nathan, Kate Serebrianskaia, Andrew Rankin, Lucy McMillan, and Michelle Reid each explore distinct ideas—whether it’s the quiet tension of climate anxiety, layered visual memory, or the tactile resonance of ceramics and textiles. These artists aren’t bound by a single theme, but rather by a shared commitment to thoughtful, considered practice. Our presentation aims to offer a rich and balanced encounter with contemporary art from Aotearoa and beyond.

Could you share one of the most memorable times you’ve had working as a gallerist?

One of the most memorable moments was the opening night of our very first exhibition. After months of preparation, it was deeply moving to see the gallery filled with people—friends, artists, and curious newcomers—all engaging with the work. There was a genuine sense of openness in the air, with conversations unfolding between strangers and artists connecting directly with their audience. It was a reminder of why we created Artor in the first place: to offer a space where art could spark connection, reflection, and a shared sense of something meaningful.

What’s happening next in the world of Artor Contemporary?

Looking ahead, Artor Contemporary is expanding its reach with a focus on more immersive exhibitions and collaborative projects with local and international artists. We’re also developing a program that brings art closer to the community, offering interactive events and workshops, where visitors can experience art not only as observers but as participants in the process. The goal is to continuously push the boundaries of what a gallery can be, both in art and in the experience we offer.

Meet the Artist: Molly Timmins, SANDERSON CONTEMPORARY

We spoke with artist Molly Timmins (Ngāpuhi, Pākehā) about her upcoming presentation with SANDERSON CONTEMPORARY at the Fair. Read on to discover more about Molly’s creative journey and what we can expect to see:

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What inspired you to pursue a career in art, and how has your journey as an artist evolved over the years?

I grew up in a creative family, and the artistic freedom I was given throughout my childhood carried me through into my schooling. It was at school I found a real interest in realistic paintings of landscapes and whenua.

During my BFA at Whitecliffe I introduced embroidery into my paintings in order to observe material hierarchies within art history. My Master’s thesis in 2023 focused on gardens, through paintings that transition between depictive and abstract approaches of botanica as well as broader ideas of what “garden” and “non-garden” can mean in a painting context.

My most recent development of research is looking at Te Pō (night) and the transition between daylight and darkness.

How do you approach the creative process when starting a new painting? Do you have any specific rituals or techniques?

When preparing to make my most recent series of artworks, which are showing at the art fair, I spent time outside sitting in my mother’s garden at nighttime. I observed the sounds and smells, as well as the colours and atmosphere as the garden transitioned from day to night.

In the studio, I refer to some photographs but I try to allow for a bodily response to the remembered atmosphere, as well as letting the paint lead some of my decision making.

Within the pieces that have both paint and embroidery, for drying reasons, I do the stitching last. This process can be quite different to my painting approach, and it slows down the pacing of the work.


Image: Molly’s research photograph

What drew you to explore gardens as both a physical space and an artistic subject?

My mother and her mother both owned bromeliad businesses while being passionate gardeners. Growing up surrounded by plants is what inspired me to honour this lineage, and I look to my own Māori (Ngāpuhi) whakapapa alongside my heritage to colonial gardens, to consider a nuanced approach to gardens as an environment.

I’m equally as interested in what gardens can represent, and speak about, within the broader framework of Aotearoa. I aim to paint in a way that observes the hierarchies within these physical environments, as well as the idea of “garden” and “non-garden” and how this may translate through both the physical paint and how different modes of brushwork may fit or contrast within garden- painting history.


Image: Her mother’s bromeliads

What can we expect to see at your presentation at the Fair with SANDERSON?

At the Art Fair, I will be presenting a mixture of paintings and embroideries that explore nocturnal gardens. This is through a mixture of observational or botanical moments, and abstract mark-making. The combination of stitching and paint aims to observe the histories and hierarchies carried within the materials, and considers the relationship and metaphors between painting, embroidering, and gardening. A cooler, blue-toned palette is carried throughout these artworks, which feature abstract and gestural responses to the contextual research of gardening and painting history within Aotearoa.

What have been your career highlights to date?

Creating 3-metre long paintings for my Master’s graduate show in 2023 was an exciting experience, which I gratefully showed with Sanderson last year in my show Rewilding the Garden. Over the last 4 years, I have worked as an arts educator at Corban Estate Arts Centre. Making art with thousands of tamariki has been an incredibly rewarding experience, and the kaupapa of this mahi enriches both my studio ethic and my paintings. I’m also very grateful to have received early-career funding from Creative New Zealand last year, which has helped towards studio costs for my solo show at Sanderson later in the year, as well as other projects worked on during this time, including the work shown in the Aotearoa Art Fair.


Image credit: Molly Timmins

How do you imagine yourself, your practice, to look in 10 years time?

Big question! I hope that my paintings evolve into new territories while I’m developing my research. I want to keep an element of freshness towards new ideas and processes. In some ways, I hope that my work is visually quite different in ten years to what I am making now, and that it continues transitioning throughout my whole career.

I hope to exhibit overseas, perhaps through a residency. And I would love to see more landscapes and art around the world, to absorb those learnings into my painting language. Most importantly, I hope that I am still painting, still exhibiting, still making art.

Guide to Auckland with Milly Hewat-Wall, Co-Director of Someday Studio

We caught up with Milly Hewat-Wall, Co-Director of Someday Studio, ahead of the Aotearoa Art Fair to talk all things Auckland – its underrated cultural scene, favourite dinner spots on Karangahape Road, and the must-see exhibitions happening around the city. From experimental artist-led spaces to world-class programming in public galleries, Milly shares why Tāmaki Makaurau deserves more recognition as a vibrant arts destination. Plus, her can’t-miss picks at the Fair, including emerging talent, textile art, and standout local painters.

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What makes Auckland stand out as a cultural destination?

I was born in Wellington and have always considered it the cultural hub of Aotearoa, but Auckland has got a really underrated cultural scene now. We’ve got some incredible galleries, small artist-run initiatives like mothermother through to well established galleries and public galleries –Auckland Art Gallery, but also Gus Fisher, and Te Uru Gallery – both have very impressive programming and recent exhibitions have been world class especially with the lack of funds to pull these shows together. Our theatre, music and performing arts offering is small, but innovative and quality. I’d honestly love to see Auckland lean into our cultural offering more. We’re great at getting behind sport, but I think we could be known just as much for our arts and culture. There’s so much talent and energy here – it deserves a bigger spotlight.

Image credit: Te Uru Gallery

After a day of exploring the Aotearoa Art Fair, where would you go for dinner and drinks to continue the evening?

I think Karangahape road is the best, most interesting dining area – I really love Bar Celeste on K Road, its a cool little neo french bistro with an incredible menu and great wine list. Pici is tiny and loud and fun and serves amazing pasta. Roses is gone now, and there’s something new coming by Ophelia, Karl and the team but wow they created something truly special. Kemuri Hi-Fi downtown is a very cool underground listening bar open-late. Queens Rooftop is a great place to go if you want great views of the city.

Image credit: Pici

What exhibitions coincide with the Aotearoa Art Fair that you recommend to someone visiting the city?

There are some very cool exhibitions on during the Fair – my top picks, Season has a solo show with Ayesha Green, Objectspace has a contemporary textiles show on – there are some really cool makers involved from all over the country. Te Uru Gallery will still have Photosynthesisers: Women and the lens still showing, part of the Auckland Arts Festival it features 40 women artists and collectives spanning 4 generations, as well as with Ron Te Kawa – textile artist, super vibrant and fresh. And if you’re into jewellery you must visit Fingers opposite the Auckland Art Gallery.

Image credit: Ayesha Green, Ruin on the Cascade. Season Aotearoa.

What are you looking forward to seeing at the Fair?

I have a growing list of must-sees at the Fair including – Horizons, a dedicated platform for emerging artists. Led by Becky Hemus of Art Paper/Art News Aotearoa, it will feature artist-curated booths showcasing the next gen in contemporary artists – fresh and experimental.

I’m looking forward to seeing new work by Francis Upritchard at Ivan Anthony, and also new paintings by Andrew Mcleod at Robert Heald, Jhana Millers is showing an immersive solo show by Emily Hartley-Skudder, and still on my wish list from last Fair, Hamish Coleman at Season Gallery alongside Ngaroma Riley who’s work I also love.

The list goes on!

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Milly Hewat-Wall is the Director of Someday Studio.
https://www.somedaystudios.co.nz

Meet the Artist: Caitlin Devoy, mothermother

We spoke with artist Caitlin Devoy about her upcoming presentation with mothermother at the Fair. Read on to discover more about Caitlins’s creative journey and what we can expect to see:

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What can we expect to see in your presentation with mothermother at the Aotearoa Art Fair?

I’m very fortunate, and excited, to be showing at the Aotearoa Art Fair with mothermother, an intergenerational collective of artists. We share an appreciation for the interconnected networks that support and sustain us, the bodily connections we hold to the land, our societies, each other and our futures. I will be showing works alongside Tori Beeche, Phillipa Blair (1945-2025), Inga Fillary, Nat Tozer and Anouska Wallis-Lewis.

My tactile, sculptural works reference aspects of our experience as thinking bodies stumbling around in the world. The works combine humour with the erotic and explosive politics of the body, subverting binary attitudes to gender and bodies. I often think of my works as quite behavioural objects, dangling temptingly in front of the viewer, sometimes like an artifact of an action, sometimes a provocation.

Image credits: Caitlin Devoy

Your work explores the relationship between materials and the body. How do you choose materials, and how do they engage the viewer physically?

I enjoy the humorous associative possibilities afforded by making objects which have body-like qualities. A flaccid recorder, a cheeky toggle switch, a pinched cleft in a portrait frame.

I choose materials which are very tactile and which don’t feel inert. For example silicone, reacts to touch and can move like our bodies. It could be my dance background influencing my thinking and feeling for the material’s kinetic weight, bounce, touch, flex.

Silicone carries a lot of associations with the body. Medical devices, sex toys, prosthetics, for example. Its base is silica, the same as traditional sculptural materials like marble, yet it is rubbery and movable rather than static. It’s like the kink version of marble, undermining the gravitas.

What do you hope visitors to your booth at the Aotearoa Art Fair will take away from their experience with your work?

A feeling. Maybe when you’re looking you can feel the touch of the work (not necessarily literally). Some of the humour is located in that feeling of self consciousness or bodily awareness.

We’re all just flailing around trying to project intelligence or sexiness or power or whatever else with varying degrees of success. To a detached observer theres a lot of ridiculousness. Like watching a dance video with the sound turned off.

Image credits: Caitlin Devoy

How do you imagine yourself, your practice, to look in 10 years time?

I want to develop a business which financially sustains my art practice. Having the means to travel and take up residencies overseas is another goal. It’s hard work surviving as an artist and managing to balance time to make art with time spent working to pay all the bills and support my kids.

I want to have the funds to be able to bring to life all the larger works I have in mind.  My notebooks are bursting with sketches, plans and drawings of sculptures. Making those larger works, being able to devote more concentrated hours to my practice, and exhibiting both in New Zealand and internationally are my focus.

Photo credit: Ryan Greer

Meet the Artist: Jack Hadley, Laree Payne Gallery

We spoke with artist Jack Hadley about his upcoming presentation with Laree Payne Gallery at the Fair. Read on to discover more about Jack’s creative journey and what we can expect to see:

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What can we expect to see in your presentation with Laree Payne Gallery at the Aotearoa Art Fair?

I have been working on a new series of modular furniture pieces. For the fair, I will be presenting a collection of seats, a table, and a floor lamp. The works are assembled from custom aluminium components that are powder-coated in an array of colours. The colours and parts are combined in different ways so that each work is unique.

Image credits: SS3_11, 2024, Powder coated aluminium, aluminium, thermoplastic polyester, stainless steel fixings, 44.5 x 45 x 35. Image by Mark Hamilton. Courtesy of the artist and Laree Payne Gallery

You blend different references in your art, from architecture to children’s toys. What do these influences mean to you personally?

I get really excited about lots of different things and this is reflected in the work I make. I borrow materials, forms, and techniques from different disciplines and contexts. The lamp I am making for the fair draws upon the Vienna Secession as well as the temporary signals used in roadworks. I enjoy this way of working and the layering of disparate references.

Your pieces are known for their unique visual language. Can you walk us through how you develop the aesthetic of your work?

Like the furniture for the fair, much of my recent work is assembled from interchangeable parts. The visual language of the work is a way of expressing this modular logic. Joints are exaggerated, and components are painted different colours to show how the works fit together. While the modular forms are informed by utilitarian industrial design, I am interested in the decorative possibilities of working this way. By exaggerating a joint profile it becomes like a baroque motif.

Image credits: SS3_01, 2024, Powder coated aluminium, aluminium, thermoplastic polyester, stainless steel fixings, 44.5 x 45 x 35. Image by Mark Hamilton. Courtesy of the artist and Laree Payne Gallery

Many of your works seem playful at first glance but reveal deeper meaning on closer inspection. How do you hope people experience your art?

This sense of play is more important to me than a deeper meaning. In making the work, I am very directly playing with colour and form. I hope this transfers to how the audience engages with the work. Because the works are modular, I like the idea that people can imagine other possibilities for the work and how the components can be assembled.

How do you see your art practice evolving, and what direction are you most excited to explore?

At the moment, I am learning about electronics and have been producing my own custom circuit boards. I am really excited about the technical possibilities and aesthetic language of circuit board design and how I can apply these in my practice.

Photo by Sam Hartnett, courtesy of Objectspace.

Meet Ben Ashley, Principal Art and Collections Valuer, Aon

What got you into valuations and collection management?

I’ve always loved the behind-the-scenes side of art—what it’s worth, which collection it’s held in, and how it moves through time and space. Valuations and collection management felt like a natural fit. It’s about protecting the story of the artwork just as much as the object itself.

Has your approach changed over time?

Definitely. Early on, I only focused on valuations. But over time, I’ve leaned more into the strategic side: why a collection exists, how it’s valued, and how to protect it long-term. Valuation is an essential part of the bigger picture.

What kind of collections do you like working with?

I have the privilege of working with all sorts. I love a focused private collection with a clear story just as much as a big, complex institutional one that’s evolved over decades. From a valuations perspective, I especially appreciate collections that balance emotional value with strategic intent.

Any advice for someone starting out with collection or managing a collection?

Get your paperwork in order early! That includes purchase receipts, provenance information, condition reporting, valuations, and insurance. It might not sound glamorous, but it saves a lot of headaches down the line. And ask questions—there are plenty of us in the art world who love to help.

Is there an artwork or project that’s really stuck with you?

One project that stands out involved a rare folio of 17th-century Dutch watercolours, which was the subject of an insurance claim. The appraisal was a deep dive into art history, conservation, and market research all at once. Projects like that highlight how much value—cultural and financial—can rest with rare and unique items.

Guide to Auckland with Melanie O’Loughlin, Lamplight Books

We spoke to Melanie O’Loughlin, Co-Owner of Lamplight Books, about her tips for exploring Auckland.

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What makes Auckland stand out as a cultural destination?

It’s not only art that defines culture – good food, music and our unique landscape all point to a rich culture. From that gem of a Taiwanese noodle shop in Mt Roskill, to the bustling Avondale Markets, handmade Pasta in Newmarket, our 52 and counting volcanoes, live music at Double Whammy, Pah Homestead, our Museum and Auckland Art Gallery, a coast to coast walk, and all our neighbourhood bookstores, we really have a unique and thriving city

After a day of exploring the Aotearoa Art Fair, where would you go for dinner and drinks to continue the evening? 

Long time hospo couple and co-conspirator on Lamplight’s branding, Ophelia King and her husband and chef Karl Bayly are opening a new place on the corner of Richmond Road and Ponsonby … and we can’t wait to try it. Until they’re open, we’ll have to go to their other place, Roses.  

What exhibitions coincide with the Aotearoa Art Fair that you recommend to someone visiting the city? 

Anna Miles is a gallery owner who maintains long relationships with her artists. She’s always buying them books to cheer them up and inspire them. Little colour guides and art memoirs. She champions the domestic and always the mystery and the beauty. A woman who marches to her own drum, Anna Miles Gallery reflects that and so much more.

If you have friends visiting from outside of town, what are you adding to their itinerary.

If you’re a planner, then Tiritiri Matangi is a special destination for anyone. A boat ride out on the harbour, past Devonport, the naval base and suddenly Auckland puts on a show using her best side. Excitement builds as you reach the island, a bird sanctuary which has been run by passionate people with a vision and a plan to save our world bird by bird. It’s where we go in our minds eye when we need solace from the modern world. 


Image: Department of Conservation

Do you have a favourite public art installation or mural in the city? What makes it special? 

I bike past Boy Walking by Ronnie van Hout most days of the week. When it first appeared in Potters Park, I struggled with its Trumpian privileged energy. A white boy, towering over the public space, his giant feet carelessly landing on the park, a space that is one of the most multi-cultural meeting points around the city fringes. All summer, marques are set up, chairs, and picnics spread out, KFC is fetched from across the road and small children run in and out of the water features shrieking. Over the years, I’ve seen countless families linger under The Boy Walking. Always laughing, taking photos, lifting their feet up like the boy. I’ve seen the joy he brings and I’m pretty attached to him now. Would I like brown girl walking – absolutely. We can only hope. 


Image: Auckland City Council

Meet the Artist: Emily Hartley-Skudder, Jhana Millers

We spoke with artist Emily Hartley-Skudder about her exciting upcoming presentation with Jhana Millers Gallery at the Fair. Known for her playful, thought-provoking installations and vibrant oil paintings, Emily invites viewers into a world where everyday objects, gendered spaces, and nostalgia collide. In this conversation, she shares the inspiration behind her new series, “Petite Spa,” and her unique process of collecting found objects, while reflecting on the role of domestic spaces in shaping our identities. Read on to discover more about Emily’s creative journey and what we can expect to see:

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What can we expect to see in your presentation with Jhana Millers Gallery at the Aotearoa Art Fair?

I’m looking forward to riffing on the fair as a big ‘expo’ by transforming our booth into a bathroom showroom, complete with a distinctly unfashionable shub and bidet, and icecream-parlour pink and purple lino – with paintings to match of course. Luckily, Jhana is super supportive of my more eccentric installation ideas.

My new series of paintings have a lot of splashing going on. I build table-top sets in my studio and chuck water and objects around, capturing them in-camera with high speed flash to crystallise the splashes of sparkling liquid. I then translate these images into oil paintings, which include the colours and textures of the installation they’ll sit within at the fair.

This new project is called Petite Spa, which takes its name from a brand of single-use shampoo and conditioner bottles populating motel bathrooms. I’d like audiences to step into my bathroom tableaux – IRL and within my paintings – and perhaps be inspired to reconsider their grey and white home-décor decisions, or at least leave with a sugary, retro taste in their mouth.


Image: Splash Club Installation, Emily Hartley-Skudder

You have a fascinating process of collecting found objects. Can you tell us more about how you choose and respond to these materials?

It all started with collecting miniatures as a child which I just couldn’t let go of, and I brought them out again at art school. The scenes I was constructing with miniatures began to make sense as life-sized installations, which meant the objects I collected had to scale up too. I trawl  junk shops, building recyclers, and Trade Me, and end up spending a lot of time coordinating trips and pick-ups around the motu – with my partner and family’s help – to expand my treasure trove of retro carpet, bathtubs, sinks and hairdryers. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it. For this new series, I’ve come full circle and started collecting bathroom themed miniatures. So I’m taking a trip back to the diminutive and having fun with scale.

I love taking objects that already exist in the world as my starting point – they give me an anchor and also come with their own host of associations and meanings which can be played with and manipulated. I’m drawn to dated home-décor trends; the colours and styles some people now love to hate. Also, cheap materials that mimic luxurious materials; things like pleather, poured resin to imitate marble, and parquet flooring that’s actually lino. These things speak to taste and class and societal pressures, and I love the rush of finding something that you may never find again. When it comes to items that might have existed in the carpeted bathrooms of the past, sometimes the real is stranger than anything I could have dreamed up myself.


Image: Emily Hartley-Skudder

Gender, public and private spaces seem to play a key role in your art. How do you think the objects you use reflect societal expectations?

I often think about how we construct our personalities with the objects we surround ourselves with, and how this can be explored really well through the still life genre. The domestic space, especially the bathroom, brings with it a whole lot of gendered connotations and the ways we try to control our bodies and literally flush away waste. I began diving into the recycling bin and including my own toiletries, inhalers and cleaning products in my still lifes, which then led to me searching out objects with very direct links to the body – breast pumps, douches, speculums.

Then there’s toys – you can’t escape how they are very much part of the socialisation of children, especially when it comes to gender. I’d like to think there’s an underlying tension in my work, between elevating something while also critiquing it. It’s a fine line. For instance, I wouldn’t spend hours a day rendering glistening pink plastic if I didn’t kind of love it. I celebrate overtly feminine and ‘girly’ aesthetics, but also explore how it’s used in an extremely commercial way as a toxic marketing strategy, exposing the absurdity of gender divisions – especially when it comes to products for children. Capitalism, eh.


Image: Rinse and Repeat Installation, Emily Hartley-Skudder

How do you imagine yourself, your practice, to look in 10 years time?

Not a tough question at all! Hmm. My partner Hamish Coleman (also exhibiting at the fair) and I would love to find some kind of amazing commercial building where we could set up studios and live there too. So an epic live/work studio, with storage and workshop facilities, and with lots of cats, would be the dream. But honestly, just to have a sustainable art practice and be a bit more stable financially would be incredible, but I’m not sure if that’s wishful thinking.

I also have lots of ideas and ambitions for large scale installations at public galleries, and would like to exhibit internationally in a more serious way. But a lot of things are out of our control as artists, so we’ll have to see. Everyone’s life plan – win the lotto?

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Learn more about Emily: jhanamillers.com
@emilyhartleyskudder

Meet Sue Gardiner, Chartwell Charitable Trust, The Chartwell Collection, Squiggla

We spoke with Sue Gardiner, Chair of the Chartwell Charitable Trust, Co-Director of The Chartwell Collection and Co-Director with Karen Gardiner of the Squiggla project, to explore the Trust’s 50-year legacy in supporting Aotearoa’s vibrant visual arts community. Sue shares the story behind the Trust’s founding, its evolution, and its enduring commitment to growing the impact of the visual arts and enabling access to the Chartwell Collection, now housing over 2,000 works. With highlights including significant acquisitions and impactful public art projects, Sue reflects on Chartwell’s role in promoting creative visual thinking and social change. As the Trust celebrates its milestone anniversary, Sue reveals their exciting plans for the future, continuing to inspire and shape the arts landscape in New Zealand.

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What inspired you to start the Chartwell Trust 50 years ago, and what has kept you motivated over the years?

The Chartwell Project has been an explorer of the visual world for 50 years. My father Rob Gardiner established The Chartwell Trust as a charitable trust to grow, assist and support the visual arts. The Trust established The Chartwell Collection in 1974, inspired by the need for a public art gallery in Hamilton. So, with its home based in Hamilton, the first Collection acquisitions were made with the public art gallery in mind. The thinking around the role of public art galleries and the role of the visual arts in the wider culture encompasses the need for an in-depth investigation, as Rob has written, into the “nature of art working: the making and seeing part, art at work – artworks!” This sense of enquiry honours the work of visual artists who have made artworks important to our culture and who epitomise living a creative life. This focus encompasses Chartwell’s continuing motivation to grow a widening community of people who are attentive and understanding of the mind and body, tools, materials and processes at work in our arts and culture.

How has the Chartwell Collection grown and changed since it was first established in 1974?

Having first been housed in the Waikato, including, between 1982 to 1994, at the Centre for Contemporary Art (CFCA) Chartwell’s own public art gallery, the growing Collection relocated to Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki in 1997 with over 200 artworks. A strong trans-Tasman lens on collecting had already developed and continued to grow through ongoing acquisitions and exhibitions, with artists such as Kathy Temin, Peter Tyndall and John Nixon and Emily Kam Kngwarray entering the collection the same year. Chartwell’s early painting acquisitions included expressive, gestural abstraction and, later, non-objective abstraction. Today, the Collection comprises over 2,000 artworks and its holdings include not only paintings, but also an expansive drawing collection, sculptures, installations, archival collections (by Richard Maloy and Daniel Malone for example), performance art, textiles, ceramics, books, audiovisual, prints, photographs and other stimulating objects.

How has your approach to collecting evolved over time?

Drawing on a philosophy around how a contemporary art collection can be an active space of being, seeing, making and thinking, the Chartwell Collection has evolved through a commitment to the art viewing public who are encouraged to turn their attention to the visual artists who have made artworks important to our culture and who epitomise living a creative life. This has meant that the Collection has evolved and responded in ways that offer access to creative actions and to the continual generation of new ideas.

Was there a work of art that got away?

Maybe I can ask this in another way- was there a work of art that was given away?

In 1997, Chartwell was gifted two large murals Godwit/Kuaka by Ralph Hotere (1977) and Prelude to a Journey by Pat Hanly (1977). These murals were first commissioned by the Auckland Airport in the 1970s and now were looking for a new home. They became the first works to enter the Collection at its new base at the Auckland Art Gallery and have come to signify the start of the long and important relationship with the Gallery. While the Hotere mural was able to stay intact within the Collection, Hanly’s work was so large that the artist made the decision to divide the 34 panels into smaller groupings and establish a series of new works. These works were then gifted by Chartwell to other public collections around the country including Te Papa Tongarewa in Wellington and The Hocken in Dunedin, with a set remaining with Chartwell which is currently on display at the Gallery. Some of Chartwell’s related archival material is also on display in the vitrine by the E.H. McCormack Library at Auckland Art Gallery. Curated by Megan Shaw, Philippa Robinson and Freya Elmer, Archive Display | Being, Seeing, Making, Thinking: 50 Years of The Chartwell Project is on until 4 May 2025.

What impact do you hope Chartwell’s projects, like CAST and Squiggla, have on the wider community?

For Chartwell, research is vital for the articulation of the wider impact of the arts. Te Rito Toi – Centre for Arts and Social Transformation (CAST), in the Faculty of Arts and Education at the University of Auckland, research how the arts have the potential to make a more socially just and equitable world through improving the quality of life of all citizens. Arts-based research is urgently needed to deepen this understanding.

Knowing we can all benefit from the interconnectedness of art and a creative life, the Squiggla Project, managed by Karen Gardiner, was developed by Chartwell as an outreach project to encourage open-ended creative participation. So with the artists in the Collection being the inspiring creative leaders, the Squiggla outreach project focusses on intuitive mark making as a playful means for everyone to start to know themselves as creative people. Squiggla calls on us all to turn our attention inwards, towards sense-based creative experiences that are missing from too many lives. Engagement with Squiggla programmes is growing quickly and the team work with an expanding range of organisations and communities and are always pleased to welcome people at the Aotearoa Art Fair.

Image: The Squiggla Making Space at Aotearoa Art Fair 2024.

What are some of the most memorable moments or achievements in Chartwell’s history that stand out to you?

Firstly, Rob was awarded honours in 2000 (ONZM) and 2015 (CNZM) for services to philanthropy and the arts.

With gallerist Sue Crockford and the Gallery team, Rob and I worked on an unusual acquisition in 2007. Black Market Next to My Name, 2007, by Daniel Malone was originally presented at Gambia Castle gallery as a kind of ‘market’ for all of Daniel’s belongings as he headed off overseas. Conceived as part garage sale, part archive, more people realised how significant the exhibition was, not only as a portrait of the artist’s life but as an accumulation of ideas that represented the wider art community. So instead of each item being distributed to a great many people, the work, as one extraordinary entity, entered the Chartwell Collection soon afterwards.

Welcoming Te Pohio o Hine-Moana, 2021, by Raukura Turei into the Collection was a memorable acquisition. It has become a much-loved work on display in the Auckland Art Gallery with many school groups spending time with the six metre- long work, made with onepū (iron sand), raw pigments and oil on linen.

Memorable too have been the four dedicated Chartwell exhibitions presented in The Chartwell Gallery, on level 2 at the Auckland Art Gallery since its redevelopment in 2011. Natasha Conland curated the exhibitions in 2012, 2017 and 2022 with Stephen Cleland curating the Chartwell show in 2014. These on-going exhibitions, held every three years, are significant for their ability to deeply explore a wide range of contemporary art and ideas for audiences in Aotearoa New Zealand.

The opportunity to further celebrate artists as part of our 50th Anniversary programme of exhibitions and events from March 2024 to March 2025 has been memorable in so many ways. With over 100 artworks on loan, reaching a large public gallery audience from Auckland to Queenstown over the year has been hugely significant. All culminated in the recent launch of Being, Seeing, Making, Thinking: 50 Years of The Chartwell Project co-edited by myself and Megan Shaw, and co-published with The Auckland Art Gallery. I’m pleased that the book is available at the Aotearoa Art Fair.

Looking ahead, what are your hopes for the next 50 years of the Chartwell Trust and its impact on the arts?

Hopefully it won’t take another 50 years to witness meaningful progress towards developing a culture which is supportive of the value of the visual arts and committed to encouraging more people to experience and benefit from art making and viewing. We will keep working to achieve this. We will continue to lend our voice to all those who see the future of public art galleries as being fundamental to our way of life and culture and, for Chartwell, to continue to support the exploration of big contemporary ideas that reflect visual arts communities. But, right now, I know the last 50 years of Chartwell activity has delivered change often at an extraordinary pace, with huge heart and extraordinary empathy for the deep belief in the possibilities of a creative future. In that, we are all invested together. Please read more in our new book Being, Seeing, Making, Thinking: 50 Years of The Chartwell Project, available at the Fair, bookshops around the country, and on www.chartwell.org.nz.

 

Image: Being, Seeing, Making, Thinking: 50 Years of the Chartwell Project.

Featured image credit: Being, Seeing, Making, Thinking: 50 Years of The Chartwell Project co-editors, Sue Gardiner (right), Megan Shaw (left) with Chartwell founder Rob Gardiner.

The Business of Art

The Aotearoa Art Fair is the best place to purchase unique contemporary art from local and international artists, presnted by 45 galleries. Whether you’re a seasoned collector or a first-time buyer, navigating the art-buying process can feel overwhelming – here are some simple and practical tips for buying art at the fair.

Set Your Budget

Before attending the fair, decide how much you’re willing to spend. Art can range from affordable pieces to high-end investments, so setting a realistic budget will help guide your decisions. Many galleries also offer flexible payment options and interest free loands with My ART, making it easier to buy the art you love.

Do Your Research

Take time to explore the participating galleries and artists online. Researching their works beforehand will help you make informed decisions at the fair. Understanding the artist’s background, themes, and artistic approach can also deepen your appreciation for their work.

Image: Elliot Collins, The Places We Carry Within Us. Courtesy of the aritst and Black Door Gallery.

Engage with Galleries

When you arrive at the fair, don’t hesitate to engage with gallerists. They will all offer valuable insights into the artwork, explain the artist’s creative process, and discuss pricing and availability. Establishing rapport with gallerists can help you build long-term relationships as you continue to grow your collection.

Trust Your Instincts

Art collecting is a deeply personal journey, so trust your gut when selecting pieces. If a work resonates with you, it’s likely a good fit for your collection. Remember, art is about personal enjoyment, so focus on what excites and inspires you.

Start Small

If you’re new to collecting, consider starting with smaller works or limited edition pieces. These are often more affordable and provide an entry point into the art world. Smaller artworks and works on paper can be just as impactful as larger pieces and still offer the opportunity to own works by renowned artists.

Celebrate Your New Art

Once your new piece is in your possession, celebrate your purchase!

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Aotearoa Art Fair, 1-4 May 2025, Viaduct Events Centre

Tickets for the Aotearoa Art Fair are now available. Take advantage of First Release pricing to save up to 40%—hurry, the offer ends on Friday, 28 March. Buy ticket online now.

How to Support Galleries Beyond the Fair

Events like the Aotearoa Art Fair are an excellent place to discover and purchase artwork, but supporting local galleries and artists doesn’t have to end when the fair is over. There are many ways to continue fostering the growth and success of New Zealand’s talented artists throughout the year. Here are a few ways you can support local art!

  1. Visit Galleries

A great way to support local artists year-round is by visiting galleries. Walking through gallery spaces, engaging with the work, and purchasing art directly helps sustain artists and the galleries that represent them. Many galleries hold regular openings, providing opportunities to discover new artists and connect with the local arts community.

  1. Engage on Social Media

Follow galleries and artists on social media to stay up-to-date with new exhibitions, upcoming shows, and the latest artworks. Liking, commenting, and sharing posts helps promote their work and builds a broader audience. It’s an easy way to offer ongoing support from the comfort of your own home.

  1. Participate in Art Events and Workshops

Many galleries offer workshops, talks, and events throughout the year. By attending or participating, you can engage more deeply with the art and artists, expanding your own knowledge while supporting the gallery’s programming. These events also provide an excellent opportunity to meet artists and other art lovers in your community.

  1. Purchase Artworks

If you’re in a position to do so, purchasing art from galleries is one of the most direct ways to support artists. Whether it’s a piece for your home or an investment for the future, your purchase helps sustain the careers of artists and contributes to the local art economy.

  1. Spread the Word

Tell your friends and family about the galleries you love. Word of mouth is powerful, and recommending galleries or artists to others is a great way to increase their visibility and support the local art scene.

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Aotearoa Art Fair, 1-4 May 2025, Viaduct Events Centre

Tickets for the Aotearoa Art Fair are now available. Take advantage of First Release pricing to save up to 40%—hurry, the offer ends on Friday, 28 March. Buy ticket online now.

Insider’s Tips

The Aotearoa Art Fair is one of New Zealand’s premier art events, attracting artists, collectors, and art lovers from around the world. Whether you’re a seasoned art collector or a first-time visitor, there are plenty of ways to ensure you get the most out of your experience. Here are some insider tips to help you navigate the fair and make the most of your time there.

1. Plan Ahead

 Take some time before the fair to look at the participating galleries and artists on our galleries page and social media. Explore the showcases so you can target the galleries that you’re most looking forward to seeing!

2. Arrive Early

To avoid the crowds and get a more relaxed view of the Fair, it’s a good idea to arrive early. The Fair opens at 11am on Friday 2, Saturday 3, and Sunday 4 May. The first few hours of the fair are usually quieter, allowing you more space to appreciate the art, ask questions, and connect with gallerists without the hustle and bustle.

3. Engage with the Artists and Gallerists

The fair is not only about seeing artwork but also about making connections. Take the opportunity to chat with gallerists and even the artists themselves. Get insights into the artwork, including the stories behind their pieces, their creative processes, and the inspiration that drives their work. Engaging with the creators gives you a better appreciation of the art!

Image: Gavin Hurley, Mother of Arrested Developement, 2019. Courtesy of Melanie Roger Gallery

 

4. Attend Talks in the Let’s Talk Art programme presented by Aon

The fair features 10 panel discussions featuring artists, curators, and collectors. These sessions provide a great opportunity to learn more about the art, design, and architecture worls and hear from industry experts. They’re an excellent way to enhance your understanding of the industry and to gain insights. Admission to all talks is included in your ticket.

5. Explore the Emerging Artists Section

This year, we are excited to launch Horizons, the Emerging Artists sector presented by Chapman Tripp and curated by Becky Hemus. If you’re new to collecting, this is a great place to discover fresh, innovative works from artists who are making their mark.

6. Take Photos

There will be so much to see that it’s easy to forget specific details about the artwork or the artist. Take pieces of the works that catch your eye. This way, you can reference your favourites later when you’re considering a purchase or following up on an artist you’re interested in.

7. Enjoy the Full Experience

While the art is the main draw, the Fair offers more than just galleries. Take time to explore the full experience, which includes tours, dining, a bookshop, workshops, and other activations throughout the venue.

8. Be Open to Discovering New Art

Even if you have a particular style or medium in mind, be open to exploring new forms of art that might surprise you. The fair is the perfect place to step outside your comfort zone and discover something unexpected—whether it’s a new artist, style, or medium that you hadn’t considered before.

10. Don’t Rush the Experience

Lastly, take your time and don’t rush through the Fair! It is a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the world of contemporary art, and its only here once a year! Slow down, engage with the work, and soak up the atmosphere.

Aotearoa Art Fair, 1-4 May 2025, Viaduct Events Centre

Tickets for the Aotearoa Art Fair are now available. Take advantage of First Release pricing to save up to 40%—hurry, the offer ends on Friday, 28 March. Buy ticket online now.

Art for All

The Aotearoa Art Fair, New Zealand’s premier art fair, is set to take over the Viaduct Events Centre this 1-4 May. Whether you’re an art enthusiast or simply curious, the Fair promises an inclusive and engaging experience for all—no art expertise required. Here’s why you don’t need to be an expert to enjoy the Art Fair.

1. Art is for Everyone, Regardless of Knowledge

The Aotearoa Art Fair welcomes visitors of all backgrounds – you don’t need to understand the technicalities to appreciate the beauty and storytelling behind the artworks! From large-scale sculptures to works on paper, there is something for all tastes.

2. Be Guided in a Tours

If you’re new to art or unsure where to start, the Fair provides guided tours led by curators and art professionals each day, which are a great starting point. For those wanting even more information.

3. Discover Emerging Talent

The 2025 edition of the Aotearoa Art Fair will showcase emerging artists through the Horizons sector presented by Chapman Tripp and curated by Bekcy Hemus. This new initiative, dedicated to highlighting up-and-coming artists, gives visitors the opportunity to see experimental works. It’s the perfect chance to engage with fresh ideas and see how artists are shaping the future of contemporary art—no expertise needed, just an open mind!

4. See International Galleries

The Fair is your chance to see Australian galleries without leaving Auckland! This year we welcome galleries from Sydney, including Wagner Contemporary, day01., Fine Arts, Sydney, Gallery Sally Dan-Cuthbert, Martin Browne Contemporary, N. Smith Gallery, Nanda/Hobbs, Redbase, and OLSEN Gallery, and Brisbane’s PARKER Contemporary.

Image: Edward Waring. A Lenticular Slap. Courtesy of the artist and Gallery Sally-Dan Cuthbert

5. Celebrate the Community

The Aotearoa Art Fair proves that art is not reserved for experts or collectors alone. It’s for everyone. So, if you’ve ever felt intimidated by the art world, the Fair offers a chance to dive in, ask questions, and enjoy the experience without the pressure to know everything.

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Aotearoa Art Fair, 1-4 May 2025, Viaduct Events Centre

Tickets for the Aotearoa Art Fair are now available. Take advantage of First Release pricing to save up to 40%—hurry, the offer ends on Friday, 28 March. Buy ticket online now.

Meet Gallerist Nick Smith, N.Smith Gallery

N.Smith Gallery has come a long way in a short time, and their journey is a fascinating one. From discovering an unrepresented emerging artist to becoming a prominent gallery representing 24 artists with global projects, it’s a story of passion and growth. Ahead of their second appearance at the Aotearoa Art Fair, we caught up with them to learn more about their journey, the artists they represent, and what’s next for the gallery.

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Can you tell us about how N.Smith Gallery came into existence?

I met a brilliant, unrepresented emerging artist and knew I needed to help share their work. (Almost) 4 years later and we now represent 24 artists with projects all over the world.

Who are you bringing to the Aotearoa Art Fair and why?

This is our second time exhibiting at Aotearoa Art Fair, and we’re thrilled to continue to develop our relationship with New Zealand curators and collectors. This year we’re honoured to be presenting the work of Nikau Hindin – an incredible, culturally-significant Māori artist dedicated to reviving and preserving the artistry of aute making. We wanted our first project together to be in Aotearoa, so the art fair made perfect sense.

Image: Nikau Hindin

Could you share one of the most memorable times you’ve had working as a gallerist?

Too many come to mind. The first artist saying yes. Our first opening. Artists winning prizes and included in major museum exhibitions. Hiring each of my amazing team. The week we relocated to our new gallery space. Travelling with the artists. Meeting incredible curators and collectors all over the world.

What advice would you give someone looking to start their own art collection?

Ask yourself why you want to collect. Do you want to be the custodian of important cultural objects? Do you want to decorate your home? Perhaps you like the colour blue or paintings of dogs? There are no wrong answers, but it will inform what and how you buy.

The most important thing to remember is that a collection starts with just one artwork – so start!

Image: N. Smith Gallery

What’s happening next in the world of N.Smith Gallery?

I’m currently writing these answers at an art fair in Tokyo. We have upcoming projects around the world, a busy gallery exhibition and museum exhibition schedule, and pop up exhibitions around Australia. We’re also looking at locations for our second gallery space.

Learn more about N.Smith Gallery nsmithgallery.com

Guide to Auckland with Ruth Buchanan, Artspace Aotearoa

We spoke to Ruth Buchanan, Kaitohu Director at Artspace Aotearoa, about her tips for exploring Auckland.

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What makes Auckland stand out as a cultural destination?

Set amongst a field of 53 volcanoes the city is uniquely situated to be a potent creative environment. The strength of and the exchange between artists of multiple generations in an intimate community is what makes this city so special and enables the constant high quality exhibitions of contemporary artists.

After a day of exploring the Aotearoa Art Fair, where would you go for dinner and drinks to continue the evening?

I enjoy the Malaysian restaurant Sri Penang which has withstood the changing dynamics of Karangahape Rd and continues to be a stalwart for artists heading for kai. For a drink I’d visit the recently opened Goblin, upstairs on Ponsonby Rd, its chalky blue entrance area is fantastic. I’m really looking forward to trying Blue, the new project by the Roses whānau when that opens at the top of Franklin Rd.

Image: Concrete Playground

Do you have a favourite public art installation or mural in the city? What makes it special?

The Lighthouse by Michael Parekōwhai at the waterfront is a fantastic expression of the complexity of lived experience in Aotearoa and how this can be captured in sculpture.

Image: Auckland Live

What exhibitions coincide with the Aotearoa Art Fair that you recommend to someone visiting the city?

Artspace Aotearoa opens its annual solo exhibition at the time of the fair. This annual exhibition generally presents a more challenging position and approach to exhibition making, this time will be no exception as we present new work by international artists, experimental composer and conductor Ethan Braun and graphic designer Lina Grumm. They have developed a sonic spatial scape ready to explore. Maungarongo Te Kawa also has a solo exhibition at Te Uru in Titirangi during this time, and his work always brings the noise—it’s inspiring and delightful.

Learn more about Artspace Aotearoa artspace-aotearoa.nz

Guide to Auckland with Simran Saseve-Dale, My ART.

We spoke to Simran Saseve-Dale, General Manager at My ART, about her tips for exploring Auckland. Simran has worked with galleries, arts organisations and artists for many years.

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What makes Auckland stand out as a cultural destination?

The diversity of our sector. We have artists, organisations, galleries and projects that represent everyone, all sharing stories unique to their own lived experience. We’re fortunate to have the opportunity to engage with such a diverse range of work, everywhere, every day.

If you have friends from out of town, what are you adding to their itinerary?

A trip to the Arts House Trust! Anita and her team have presented some fantastic exhibitions, drawing on the Trust’s extensive collection and showcasing new, engaging works. Alongside that, the building is beautiful, the Hill House café is brilliant and the grounds of Monte Cecilia Park are lovely to wander around.

Image: The Arts House Trust

After a day of exploring the Aotearoa Art Fair, where would you go for dinner and drinks to continue the evening?

Amano is always my favourite. Pasta, cocktails and a healthy dose of Verner Panton – what’s not to love!!

Image: Amano Auckland

Do you have a favourite public art installation or mural in the city? What makes it special?

Having grown up in Auckland, there are many public works that have become significant to me and remind me of different times in my life. Chris Booth’s Gateway has been a constant, anchoring work. I recall first seeing it as a child and later, passing it on my way to uni. Recently, I had the opportunity to work with Chris for Sculpture on the Gulf and really enjoyed getting to know him. Last week, my sons and I were on the way to the Art Gallery, when we passed the OG Chris Booth at the base of Albert Park. Their little minds were blown at the scale and wizardry of that work! All of a sudden, it took on a new significance for me, and will now remind me of a very special day out with my boys!

Image: Chris Booth

About My ART
My ART offers collectors interest-free loans to buy art from New Zealand and Australia’s leading galleries. My ART takes the hassle out of time payments and alleviates the financial pressures on all parties. My ART reduces the risks of long term lay-buys for galleries and artists and emboldens people to buy the work they really want. “All kinds of people are using My ART, from first time buyers to established collectors, who often use it to give them more time to pay off a large purchase.” The profits from My ART are returned to the community via charitable donations to art organisations around New Zealand Aotearoa.

Learn more about My ART myart.co.nz