Exhibitions

4 - 30 October, 2024
Opening Friday 4th October, 5-7pm

A self-proclaimed cultural wanderer, Korean-born photographer Jae Hoon Lee grew up in Seoul, emigrated to the USA in 1993 to study at the San Francisco Art Institute, and then in 1998 to Auckland, New Zealand, where he graduated MFA (2001) and DocFA (2012) from the University of Auckland’s Elam School of Fine Arts. Lee’s multiple migrations and his preoccupation with expanding technological advances have continued to define and inform his practice. His work makes apparent his enduring concerns of place, movement, individuality.

Jae Hoon Lee’s digitally enhanced, hyper-real landscapes are a composite of images he personally gathers in his travels. While his works initially deceive the viewer with their familiar appearance, closer inspection reveals an acutely subjective engagement with the visual texture of a location, an elaborate visual trick. 

Lee’s digital photographs, video installation and sculpture have been exhibited widely in New Zealand and internationally over the past fifteen years, and acquired for both public and private collections. Lee won the Wallace Arts Trust Paramount Award in 2013, including a 6-month residency in the International Studio and Curatorial Program in Brooklyn, New York City; and in 2014 was awarded the Asia New Zealand Foundation’s Cemeti Art House Residency in Indonesia. In January 2012, Antarctica New Zealand Arts Fellowship Programme at Scott Base. Lee lives and works in Auckland, New Zealand.

9 - 30 August, 2024
Opening Friday 9 August, 5-7pm

“A decade ago, I began exploring identity through circular motifs and patterns using computer filters, initially inspired by the deconstruction of Tapa cloth, a traditional Polynesian art form. Over time, this exploration evolved to include a scientific perspective.

During my residency at the Carter Observatory in 2019, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the Moon landings, I immersed myself in the mysteries of the cosmos. This profound experience shifted my focus away from cultural identity and propelled me towards contemplating humanity's insignificance in the vast universe.

My recent artwork arose from collecting found objects during the COVID-19 lockdowns. My son and I made a ritual of gathering feathers, leaves, and other intriguing materials that caught our attention. This tactile exploration not only provided inspiration for my art but also fostered a profound connection to the environment surrounding us.”

19 March - 2 April, 2024

Sketch in the Mind is a collection of spontaneous, colourful and exuberant drawings by self-taught artist John Boyd-Dunlop. Variously described as Naïve art, Outsider art, or Art Brut (Brut meaning raw and unsugared in the wine trade), these terms for art production can be contentious, but fit well here.⁠
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John’s creative activity started as he approached the age of 70. He has evolved a personal mythology that is both eccentric and humorous. There are echoes of Surrealist and Folk art, intricate patterns and animal-human hybrids play in amongst enormous florid blooms. Ladies with bouffant hair clutch roosters, the stylised tail feathers arching to form a portrait oval, screeching with colour. This is an alternative reality where cat creatures with painted toenails and jewelry ride into town on a buffalo, clutching its enormous horns, ready for a Helluva Time. New Zealand has its very own outsider art fair where these characters and yarns could find a wider audience of receptive fans.⁠⁠ (Karma Percy, 2017)

16 January - 1 March 2024

Ahuriri Contemporary is proud to present ‘Eclipse’ a group show revealing a collection of new and significant works by a selection of our current stable and guest artists, and also some important historical works.

Featuring:  Philip Clairmont, Max Gimblett, Allen Maddox, Seung Yul Oh, Rohan Wealleans, Peter Madden, Hye Rim Lee, Sefton Rani, Marcus Hipa, Dagmar Dyck, Kirk Nicholls and more.

14 October - 10 November, 2023

Within the artistic realm exists a timeless connection that defies the constraints of time—an unbroken thread of creativity woven through the tapestry of our ancestral bloodlines. Re-Generation is not merely an exhibition; it is a profound testament to the enduring bond between a parent and child and an exploration of the intricate fabric of intergenerational creativity.

Within the walls of this exhibition, Dagmar Dyck and her son, Ercan Cairns, stand together as artists for the first time, sharing their unique visions with the world. Re-Generation is a heartfelt celebration of the continuum of artistic expression that binds us to our forebears and has profoundly shaped the artists we are today.

Re-Generation is more than an exhibition; it is a homage to our past, a joyful celebration of the present, and a promise for our creative future. In this shared moment, we witness the limitless potential inherent in our ancestral bloodlines. It is an artistic ode to the enduring legacy of creativity that binds us across generations—a testament to the power of creative freedom that flows through our veins and continues to evolve, shape, and inspire.

27 September - 9 October

Born 29 April 1961, Simon Kerr was 15 when he was first sent to Mt Eden Prison in Auckland. From the 1980’s and spanning three decades across New Zealand and Australia, Simon was the leader of a group of safe-crackers known as the ‘Hole-in-the-Wall Gang,’ and he subsequently staged a number of escapes from prison.

His art is two things: a narrative of his personal journey, and his observation of the world along that journey. Simon is a unique storyteller through his art; painting with vigour and passion while truly opening his soul to the viewer making his work extremely honest and powerful.

During Simon’s last prison sentence from 2011-2015, served at Northland Region Corrections Facility, he started creating art. With limited art materials available to paint on within prison, Simon resourcefully used whatever medium he could paint on; ranging from prison sheets to old bits of board. Having served close to a total of 20 years in prison over a period of 30+ years, Simon’s final release from prison was in late 2015 where he went on to live in Kerikeri. Soon after Simon held his first solo exhibition during which all of his work sold; and was subsequently followed by another exhibition held at the Whangarei Art Museum where Simon was successfully selected from circa 1,000 applicants. A number of Simon’s works were purchased by the Whangarei Art Museum and are exhibited there today.

30 June - 8 August, 2023

Boyd-Dunlop Gallery proudly presents 'Rubber Soul', a retrospective exhibition of Mambo sketches, prints and posters from the hyperactive imagination of New Zealand born artist Jim Mitchell.

100% Mambo launched in Redfern, Australia in 1984 and owed much of it’s success to a group of independent artists who helped translate the passion for surf, art, music and humour into wearable products beloved by many, and still coveted by millennials and centennials raiding their Dads wardrobes. One such artist was Jim Mitchell.

The exhibition will consist of highly sought after and never before exhibited works to purchase from Jim Mitchell's personal collection. The collection includes Jim's entire set of original poster art, painted between 1994 and 2000. Securing the poster brief for each collection was considered the most prestigious commission and the artistic competition stepped up accordingly.

A number of the artworks featured in this exhibition are working drawings, which were step one of a creative process for art to be approved for a graphic story or range, and find its way onto a t-shirt, loud shirt, swing tag or poster. A core group of artists were invited to contribute ideas to each range, this method of sourcing art had the effect of creating intense competition between the artists, with the ultimate effect of extracting the most original, collectable and controversial artworks. These visuals were created before photoshop was widely used, so include literal cut and paste (tape) as Jim tweaked his layouts. Pantone swatches and coffee stains are bonus extras.

Also featuring in the exhibition are limited edition screenprints of iconic works and new release limited edition digital prints, as well as special one off print proofs for t-shirts. This is an exhibition which Mambo fans, art appreciators, bussing artists and collectors will not want to miss.

10 - 31 March 2023

The iconic artist Fane Flaws died in 2021, leaving a legacy of prodigious artistic output and a bevy of bereft fans. The 'Blue Elvis' tribute exhibition at Arcade Gallery will include selected artworks including painting, sculpture, and screenprints by the late Fane Flaws courtesy of the Fane Flaws Estate and Boyd-Dunlop Gallery.

The gallery tribute will coincide with the MTG exhibition, Making a Mark: The Work of Fane Flaws celebrates Fane’s unerring commitment to creativity that lifts us out of the humdrum and recognises that whatever he was making, be it television commercials, books for kids, music videos or songs, Fane’s work radiated a spirit that was much bigger than any of it.

Napier based artist Fane Flaws is one of New Zealand's most idiosyncratic and eclectic artists. He is widely known for his quirky, surrealistic work as a visual artist, although his career spanned a huge range of media including graphic design, painting, video and music.

Flaws started painting when taking a break from music on Waiheke Island in the late seventies. He went on to develop a huge body of work and a recognisable style that reflected his vibrant, energetic personality. He was often excited about new projects, and new collaborations. He seemed to channel constant creative energy.

After his passing in 2021 Flaws was recognised as having had a considerable impact on New Zealand cultural history. He exhibited throughout New Zealand in various one person and group shows since 1984, and held over 40 awards for his directorial work in film, music video and television, and his work is represented in private collections within New Zealand.

Some text adapted from the MTG website and Toni McKinnon in the HB Today

20 January - 8 February, 2023

Peter Miller can perhaps best be classified as a contemporary still life painter, although he also often works outside of that genre, incorporating narrative based and large portrait work (the latter of the two having become a strong passion for him).

In his still life work he tends to play with old and damaged objects that convey a sense of story and show the signs of time passing whilst also looking for and painting simple objects, objects that he sees a beauty in that may be missed by others, and through painting magnifying their beauty, in a sense placing them under a spotlight for the viewers awareness.

"My work had it's origins in the Dutch Vanitas paintings of the 16/17th century, the period during and following the boom time in the tulip trade in the Nederland. It has changed a lot over time, but I am still probably currently best known as a still life painter. The Vanitas influence is still there but not often obvious, except perhaps to myself. Over time I have brought the human figure into my work more and more, as a potential carrier of a stronger narrative. And now portrait work has taken my interest also, the challenge of trying to capture the essence of a person and personality."

15th July - 5th August, 2022

The Exhibition will feature recent paintings from Auckland emerging painter Ercan Cairns.

Ercan Cairns is young and inspiring. His creative process is incredibly intuitive with freedom, energy and focus. He is influenced by American Abstract artists and adopts as they do, he does. The marks and forms are made from the movement of the whole body and emotion of the subconscious allowing the paint to flow on the surface. Forms being the idea of body and soul.

25th April - 16th May, 2022

As meditative as they are exhilarating, Patrick Tyman’s works are a real visual treat for the eyes. Often portraying bold florals amidst a dream like landscape, Patrick takes the native flora and fauna of New Zealand and the vibrant colours of the South Pacific as his muse.