Pāua: A Contemporary Jewellery Story – Curator’s Tour

Join curator Sian van Dyk for this tour of The Dowse’s freshest exhibition, Pāua: A Contemporary Jewellery Story.

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.

Pāua: A Contemporary Jewellery Story features over seventy works from artists; Alan Preston, Anna Balasoglou, Areta Wilkinson, Brian Adam, Craig McIntosh, Elena Gee, Frances Stachl, Gina Matchitt, Inia Taylor, Jane Dodd, Jennifer 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 Schmid, Sharon Fitness, Vanessa Arthur and Warwick Freeman.