Whitecliffe Fine Arts Lecturer and artist Richard Maloy has curated a new exhibition of photographic works by renowned Aotearoa artist Dr Fiona Pardington, now on view at Waiheke Community Art Gallery until 17 August. Fiona will be representing Aotearoa New Zealand at La Biennale di Venezia in 2026.

The exhibition brings together, for the first time, a selection of key works created during and after Pardington’s time living on Waiheke Island. It features pieces from her iconic bird, still life, and hei tiki series.
 
Her works often centre on still-life compositions, capturing museum taonga (Māori ancestral treasures) and other objects of national significance, while others focus on personal collections and arrangements.

Pardington’s practice explores what is often hidden or unseen, using both the camera and the act of exhibition to bring these elements into view.

Fiona Pardington is of Māori (Ngāi Tahu, Kati Mamoe and Ngāti Kahungunu) and Scottish (Clan Cameron of Erracht) descent. She is a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit and was named a Knight (Chevalier) in the Order of Arts and Letters (Chevalier de l’ordre des Arts et des Lettres) by the French Prime Minister in 2016. Pardington holds a Doctorate in Fine Arts from the University of Auckland.

Curated by Richard Maloy in partnership with Starkwhite and supported by the Waiheke Local Board, the exhibition invites viewers to consider not just the objects in frame but the act of seeing itself.

📍 If you’re heading to Waiheke Island before 17 August, this is a must-see for anyone interested in the intersection of photography, history, and cultural identity. More details here.