Rebecca Rice

Dr Rebecca Rice is Senior Curator Art at Te Papa. In her curatorial practice and research, Rebecca is committed to rethinking the legacies of Aotearoa New Zealand’s colonial visual archive. She brings her historical knowledge to bear when also writing on and speaking about modern and contemporary art. Her current research focuses on nineteenth-century women botanical artists, the visual culture of the New Zealand Wars, and the impact of impressionism on New Zealand artists at home and abroad.

Rebecca is co-author with Matariki Williams of Ngā Tai Whakarongorua | Encounters, awarded AAANZ Best small exhibition catalogue in 2021, and co-editor of Te Ata ō Tu: The Shadow of Tūmatauenga ӏ The New Zealand Wars Collections of Te Papa, shortlisted for the Ockham New Zealand's Best Illustrated Non-fiction book, 2025.

A woman with long hair and a black dress is leaning against a rock wall and smiling at the camera.

Photo by Yoan Jolly. Te Papa

Books

Te Ata o Tū The Shadow of Tūmatauenga: The New Zealand Wars Collections of Te Papa
Accessible, important guide to the taonga relating to the New Zealand wars held by Te Papa.
Flora: Celebrating Our Botanical World
The magnificent plant world of Aotearoa New Zealand in art and object.
Ngā Tai Whakarongorua | Encounters
Accessible, informative guide to one of Te Papa’s most popular permanent art exhibitions
Terracotta Warriors: Guardians of Immortality
A companion book to the magnificent exhibition of the treasures from the tomb of the First Emperor of China.