Just a short 20-minute drive from Auckland’s CBD, Te Uru offers a great day out for people of all ages to experience quality art by local and international artists in a most idyllic setting.
Te Uru, for those who haven’t already visited, is Auckland’s second largest public art gallery housed in an architecture-award-winning building that sits at the foot of the magnificent Waitākere Ranges. Over the summer you can enjoy a day of art paired with a visit to one of the many beautiful west coast beaches. Visiting the gallery is free and always a highlight for local and international visitors alike.
On view now through February are two major exhibitions: Liquid States, a stunning survey of works from the 1970s and 1980s by renowned Aotearoa New Zealand painter Gretchen Albrecht, and the Portage Ceramic Awards, an annual exhibition of contemporary ceramics in Aotearoa.
Liquid States is Albrecht’s first survey in 20 years. Held across four gallery spaces, the exhibition includes paintings, watercolours, collages, and drawings that illustrate the significance of liquidity in Albrecht’s practice. With views to the surrounding landscape, Te Uru situates this exquisite exhibition in the landscape that inspired them. Numerous exhibited works were made while Albrecht was living in Titirangi, taking inspiration from local beaches and weather patterns.
The Portage Ceramic Awards was first established in 2001 and has become a calendar highlight for those with an interest in ceramics. Finalist works in this year’s prize range from intimate functional objects to large-scale installations. The 2025 judge is Kate Newby. Hailing from Te Henga / Bethells Beach and now based in Floresville, Texas, Newby has established a global reputation for her expansive approach to ceramics and sculpture.
“Clay is in my roots. As a child, I drank Milo from a Barry Brickell mug, ate dinner off a Chester Nealie plate and helped my father fire a Warren Tippett kiln. Embedded in my formative years are visits to pottery exhibitions and potteries to view the works of local potters. Now, 35 years later, my journey has brought me full circle. Being invited to judge the prestigious Portage Ceramic Awards is a huge honour.” (Kate Newby, 2024).
Gretchen Albrecht: Liquid States is on view from 3 NOV 2024 - 2 FEB 2025.
The Portage Ceramic Awards is on view from 22 NOV 2024 – 23 FEB 2025.
Te Uru, 420 Titirangi Road, Titirangi, Auckland. Open daily, 10am – 4:30pm. Free entry.
TE URU, 420 Titirangi Road, T: 09 817 8087, www.teuru.org.nz