We have 5 exciting exhibitions for you this time at the Forrester Gallery:

Like the Turf | Caroline McQuarrie Until 26 January 2025

Like the Turf explores Pākehā histories of colonial settlement through the examination of skilled immigrants from Cornwall and Southwest Devon who came to Aotearoa in the late 1800s. Combining photographic imagery, embroidery, and textiles to contextualise the lives of these colonial-settlers, Caroline McQuarrie weaves the less visible experience of women and families with the legacy of industry.

Sitting Pretty: The Desserts of Discontent | Victoria McIntosh Until 26 January 2025

Victoria McIntosh’s Sitting Pretty: The Desserts of Discontent takes inspiration from Mrs Beeton’s 1861 Guide to Cookery and Household Management. Padded, painted, and adorned with pearls, these objects that once told stories of aspiration and control have been reimagined to tell a tale of self perception, and body image.

Seriously Valuable Art Until 26 January 2025

Seriously Valuable Art argues that art needn’t be expensive to be beautiful, important and life-enhancing – Artists can be generous souls; and market forces aren’t always kind to historical ones. Nothing in this exhibition cost the Collector – who has kindly lent a large number of his treasures – a huge amount of money.

Alice in Victorian Wonderland | Sharon Mitchell Until 26 January 2025

One of the most important themes in Alice in Victorian Wonderland by Sharon Mitchell is the significance of embracing one’s true self. As Alice struggles with societal expectations and limitations of young women as she journeys through the bizarre and unpredictable world of Wonderland, she learns to accept her unique qualities and strength.

The Forest Howls Tonight | Ken Laraman Note: until 8 December 2024

In The Forest Howls Tonight, Ken Laraman introduces a distinct and exciting series of recently painted conceptions. These paintings revolve around the artist's views on social issues such as sea pollution, climate change, consequential ignorance, and environmental loss - employing either poetry as a starting point or the use of language as a gauge of commitment.

The Chartwell Chair Note: until 1 December 2024

The Chartwell Chair Project is a 50th Anniversary Project celebrating five decades of collecting by one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s leading art collections. The first acquisition into the Chartwell Collection was made in March 1974 and was Bill Sutton’s Threshold VIII (1973). To celebrate the Chartwell Chair, the Forrester Gallery has selected Portrait of Colin Vernon Wheeler (1943) by Sutton alongside a 1970s tub chair to encourage audiences to engage and spend time in the company of art.