Four new exhibitions have opened at the Forrester Gallery.

Touring from the Ashburton Art Gallery, Elfi Spiewack’s In Splendour Moot, Adornment Re-framed is a striking exploration of jewellery as a marker of self-expression. 

Spiewack said nature has always been a big inspiration for her and she is interested in working with ordinary materials and elevating them - putting them into a different context. 

“I want to open people’s minds as to what jewellery can be, to challenge the traditional definitions of what jewellery is.”

In this exhibition Spiewack reconstructs the traditional jewellery pieces worn by those of high social rank in portrait paintings from the Renaissance, Baroque and Victorian eras.

Presented on painting reproductions, Spiewack’s creations have been crafted using silver, gold and pearls, juxtaposed with materials of low monetary value like animal bones, antlers and synthetic hair, to question notions of beauty.

This is emphasised through an interactive mirror installation which gives visitors the opportunity to see themselves ‘wearing” Spiewack’s creations.

Brooch and Bracelet, 2017, Elfi Spiewack, deer bone, antler, pearl and sterling silver on print - Portrait of a Young Man by Agnolo Bronzino, 1530.

From flowing landscapes to serene lakes and coastal panoramas, the photographs in Tahu-nui-ā-Raki showcase the harmony between Papatūānuku/Earth Mother and Rakinui/the Sky Father, where nature's celestial brushstrokes paint the atmosphere with vivid streaks of green, red, and purple.

Featuring astrophotography by Damien McNamara and fellow astronomers, Tahu-nui-ā-Raki (Aurora Australis) is visible most often from the southern-most parts of Aotearoa. 

Māori believe the Aurora Australis is lights from the campfires reflecting in the night sky, from ancestors who travelled further south beyond Aotearoa.

Upstairs, complementing Tahu-nui-ā-Raki, is the interactive wonderlab exhibition Mānawatia a Matariki. Matariki is a time to gather with whānau (family), hoa (friends), and hāpori (community) to reflect on the past, celebrate the present, and plan for the future. 

Enjoy this interactive exhibition to celebrate and connect with whānau in the spirit of Matariki.

KĀKAUNUI | KAKANUI explores the landscapes, immense sky, elemental waters and townscapes of the surrounding area. 

This exhibition represents Alexandra photographer Eric Schusser’s photographic work from 2016 to 2022 and incorporates a variety of “scapes” to give the viewer a greater sense of place with regards to this small coastal North Otago settlement. 

Schusser’s photographs combine to speak of the peace, calm and rhythm of the sea and community.

KĀKAUNUI | KAKANUI and Mānawatia a Matariki opened to the public last Saturday (June 17).

In Splendour Moot and Tahu-nui-ā-Raki open to the public tomorrow (June 24), and are on display until August 27. Entry is free.