Whether its glimmering surface evokes nostalgia or cultural cringe, pāua is undeniably linked with the visual character of Aotearoa New Zealand. This exhibition reveals contemporary jewellers’ impressions of how a shell infiltrated our national psyche, exploring everything from its use in Māori whakairo rākau (carving) to its appearance in kiwiana and souvenir shops.

Dazzling and contemplative, Pāua: A Contemporary Jewellery Story includes over seventy works from The Dowse, Auckland Museum, Te Papa and private collections. It also features pieces belonging to Hutt Valley local Wendy Judgeford, who commissions leading jewellers to explore what pāua means to them.

Artists in Pāua: A Contemporary Jewellery Story are Alan Preston, Anna Balasoglou, Areta Wilkinson, Brian Adam, Craig McIntosh, Elena Gee, Frances Stachl, Gina Matchitt, Inia Taylor, Jane Dodd, Jen Laracy, Jenny Pattrick, Karl Fritsch, Lisa Walker, Maca Bernal, Moniek Schrijer, Neke Moa, Owen Mapp, Pauline Bern, Paul Mason, Rangi Kipa, Ray Mitchell, Ross Malcolm, Roy Mason, Ruth Baird, Sandra Schmidt, Sharon Fitness, Vanessa Arthur and Warwick Freeman.

https://dowse.org.nz/exhibitions/detail/paua-a-contemporary-jewellery-story

Image :

VANESSA ARTHUR UNTITLED (PENDANT), 2021. IMAGE COURTESY OF THE ARTIST AND THE JUDGEFORD COLLECTION