Warwick Freeman

A constant redefining

Warwick Freeman is one of several jewellers who have redefined and revolutionised jewellery in New Zealand in recent decades. The works in the Collecting Contemporary exhibition capture the changes in his practice from 1982 to 2007.

Many works that Freeman created during the 1980s and into the 90s explore issues of place, identity, and cultural appropriation. They typically incorporate indigenous materials and forms from New Zealand and the wider Pacific.

Freeman has since broadened his approach to include new ideas and materials from further afield, and his jewellery has become increasingly abstract. His unique and always experimental practice continues to resonate well beyond these shores. 

Watch an interview with Warwick Freeman

This text was prepared for the Collecting Contemporary exhibition, 2011-2012.