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Te Pūkenga Whakaata
 

OPEN DAILY: 10:00am – 4:30pm
Except Christmas Day and Good Friday

FREE ENTRY
Shed 11, 60 Lady Elizabeth Lane
Wellington Waterfront 6011

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Exhibitions
Me: Artists Paint Themselves
Aug 28
Me: Artists Paint Themselves

Delving into the complicated multiplicities of self-perception and identity, this exhibition presents a selection of innovative painted self-portraits by modern and contemporary artists from Aotearoa New Zealand.

Image: Sacha Lees, Sometimes an Outline Coloured In, 2020. Collection New Zealand Portrait Gallery Te Pūkenga Whakaata, winner of the Adam Portraiture Award 2020.

Fell into me: Hannah Ireland
Sep 18
Fell into me: Hannah Ireland

Hannah Ireland, a Tāmaki Makaurau-based artist of Ngāti Hine and Ngāpuhi descent, paints portraits in the broadest, loosest sense, capturing the essence of faces and emotions. Her paintings feature faces that appear distorted, as if pressed against the glass plate of a photocopier. 

Curated by Jaenine Parkinson

Image: Hannah Ireland, Clock Work, 2023, watercolour and acrylic on found window

Reclaimed Land: Tāngata, Tiriti, Taiao
Nov 20
Reclaimed Land: Tāngata, Tiriti, Taiao

Drawing together work by contemporary artists, Reclaimed Land: Tāngata, Tiriti, Taiao presents a portrait of the earth told through personal, ancestral and collective relationships between he tāngata and te taiao. These artists take action for nature, and tell stories of collective futures. Their works reclaim the land, reminding us that to tend to the land is to tend to ourselves.

Curated by Israel Randell and Susan Ballard 

Image: Tia Ranginui, Ka Hapai te Rama, 2023. Courtesy of the artist and Laree Payne Gallery.  

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Public Programmes
Watch This Space - Footnote Dance
Oct 11
Watch This Space - Footnote Dance

Footnote New Zealand Dance bring their site-specific gallery performance series to the New Zealand Portrait Gallery Te Pūkenga Whakaata. Come engage with the Gallery in a new way, encountering the dancers throughout the space as they respond to the current exhibition Me: Artists Paint Themselves.

Image: Watch This Space McCleavey Gallery x Cuba Dupa, provided by Footnote New Zealand Dance.

Curators' Talk - Me: Artists Paint Themselves
Oct 25
Curators' Talk - Me: Artists Paint Themselves

Join us for a conversation between Me: Artists Paint Themselves curators’ Maddie Brooks Gillespie and Jaenine Parkinson.

Monthly Life Drawing
Oct 25
Monthly Life Drawing

Have a go at portraiture in a relaxed setting with our koha monthly life drawing sessions.

The Anatomy of a Portrait with Nicola Jackson
Nov 1
The Anatomy of a Portrait with Nicola Jackson

Join artist Nicola Jackson for a masterclass exploring techniques and influences in her approach to portraiture. Nicola uses paper mâché, anatomical illustrations and vibrant colours to create unique and identifiable works.

Image: Nicola Jackson, Exposure, 2016, Courtesy of the artist.

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Touring Exhibitions
Kiingi Tuheitia Portraiture Award 2025 - Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum & Gallery
Sep 12
Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum & Gallery
Kiingi Tuheitia Portraiture Award 2025 - Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum & Gallery
Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum & Gallery

The Kiingi Tuheitia Portraiture Award is a competition that encourages young Maaori artists to create portraits of their tupuna (ancestors) in any medium. The 2025 finalists’ exhibition will be touring to multiple venues around the motu.

Image: Ashley Tutaki, Back to the Source, Photography (finalist)

Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum & Gallery
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