Imagined in the Context of a Room is a major retrospective celebrating the career and legacy of Joanna Margaret Paul (1945–2003). Paul’s intimate explorations of domestic life pushed the boundaries of artistic practice through an experimental, multi-disciplinary practice spanning drawing, painting, poetry, photography and film. Imagined in the Context of a Room considers the resonance and legacy of Paul’s work in the contemporary moment. This major exhibition presents a close study of her career from the 1970s to the 2000s and is accompanied by a significant publication. Moving across the different phases of Paul’s life as an artist, the exhibition traces key journeys that shaped her career: from Ōtepoti Dunedin to Te Pataka o Rakaihautū Banks Peninsula, Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington, Whanganui and beyond; traversing the spaces between the mind, body and spirit; between the domestic and the political; between grief and beauty.

Developed by Dunedin Public Art Gallery with project partner Sarjeant Art Gallery Te Whare o Rehua Whanganui.