Pāua: A Contemporary Jewellery Story (installation view) 2022, at The Dowse Art Museum. Photo Mark Tantrum.
Photo Credit
Pāua: A Contemporary Jewellery Story (installation view) 2022, at The Dowse Art Museum. Photo Mark Tantrum.
Photo Credit
Vanessa Arthur, Untitled (Pendant), 2021. Image courtesy of the artist and The Judgeford Collection
Photo Credit
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.
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.
