Opening on August 10, the free exhibition looks at the key role women artists have played in the development of modern art in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Spanning the period from 1920 to 1970, the exhibition combines more than 80 paintings, prints, sculptures and textiles and includes works from Rita Angus, Frances Hodgkins, and A Lois White.
It also seeks to acknowledge the contributions of lesser-known artists, including June Black, Flora Scales and Pauline Yearbury, one of the first Māori graduates of the Elam School of Fine Arts.
“The Gallery is committed to ensuring that women artists take their due place in the history of modern art and that the contexts in which they produced are made visible,” explains Tātaki Auckland Unlimited Auckland Art Gallery Director Kirsten Lacy.
“The women celebrated in Modern Women: Flight of Time are pioneering artists who boldly seized control of their own representation, leaving an indelible mark on New Zealand.”
The work of New Zealand artists is joined in the exhibition by a selection of artworks by international luminaries, including Elieen Agar, Natalia Goncharova and Winifred Knights.
Through their works, the exhibition uncovers how these women navigated and transformed the cultural and political landscape of their time, offering new insights into themes of storytelling, identity and belonging.
The exhibition has been curated by Auckland Art Gallery Curator, New Zealand Art | Kairauhī, Toi nō Aotearoa, Julia Waite.
“Modern Women: Flight of Time invites audiences to consider some of the daring artistic strategies women chose at a time of profound social change,” says Waite.
The exhibition is accompanied by a beautifully illustrated book, Modern Women: Flight of Time, which offers a deeper exploration of the featured artists and profiles additional artists.
Kiwi fashion designer Karen Walker has also created a collection of three silk scarves featuring artworks from the Gallery’s collection: Adele Younghusband’s Rehearsal (1938), Eileen Mayo’s Turkish Bath (circa 1930) and Teuane Tibbo’s Vase of Flowers (circa 1965), to mark to exhibition, available from the gallery’s shop.
“We’re incredibly excited to collaborate once again with Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki on this new show,” says Walker.
“Translating these artworks into wearable pieces allows us to celebrate their work and legacy in a dynamic way, to be enjoyed every day.”
Modern Women: Flight of Time
10 August 2024–23 February 2025
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki
