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New Visions, New Zealand Tirohanga Hou, Aotearoa

Female artists enlivened modern art in New Zealand. Double portraits by Rita Angus, Frances Hodgkins, and A Lois White face off, and a little-known mural by White gets some wall time.

  • When | Āhea 24 Aug 2016 – 26 Feb 2017
  • Where | Ki hea Level 5
  • Cost | Te utu Free exhibition
  • Ages | Te reanga All ages
  • Accessibility | E wātea ana ki

In the 1920s and 30s, New Zealand art was dismissed by many critics as provincial and unimaginative. British artist W H Allen, for example, declared it devoid of ‘pioneering spirit’ and ‘indifferent to modern movements in art’.

But a new generation of artists soon defied Allen’s harsh assessment. They challenged academic art forms, while resisting mere imitation of Europe’s avant-garde.

Here, we showcase some of their imaginative new visions of art in New Zealand, with a particular focus on the rich contributions of female artists between 1930 and 1950. 

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