
Robin White, Mangaweka, 1973. Purchased 1994 with New Zealand Lottery Grants Board funds. Te Papa (1994-0013-1)
ROBIN WHITE Tuituia
Something is Happening Here
A touring selection from Te Papa
27 February - 27 April 2025
A selection of works by Dame Robin White (Ngāti Awa, Pāhekā) is the latest touring exhibition from New Zealand’s National Museum. Robin White: Tuituia | Something is Happening Here is a series of artworks from the much-loved and acclaimed 2022 retrospective exhibition that celebrated this contemporary Aotearoa artist. Presented by Te Papa and Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, this touring exhibition brings together iconic works from the collections of Te Papa and Auckland Art Gallery, spanning White’s 50-year career.
The title kupu (word) Tuituia denotes continuity and refers to the artist connecting art, peoples and places to their environment. White explains, “The exhibiting artworks have been out in the world engaging people and people engaging with them. There is a richness in that, it is way beyond me”.
Visitors will not only explore her celebrated portraits and Aotearoa landscapes from the 1970s but also the ambitious collaborative works White has made with artists from across the Pacific and New Zealand in recent years.
Hanahiva Rose, Curator Contemporary Art, Te Papa, says the exhibition celebrates a contemporary New Zealand artist whose imagery continues to shape the country’s national identity and a sense of place in Aotearoa and in the Pacific.