Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki

Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki is the home of the visual arts in Aotearoa New Zealand. Open daily, 10am–5pm. It dates from the 10th–12th century.
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Auckland Art Gallery’s doors opened for the first time on 17 February 1888. Sir George Grey’s gift formed the core of the early collection, and we shared the building with Auckland’s Free Public Library. From these beginnings focusing on European and British art, we now have more than 17,500 works in the collection, and our redeveloped building provides purpose-built spaces for regularly changing

exhibitions. Auckland Art Gallery has grown its collection of artworks with acquisitions, gifts, bequests and long-term loans. Major collection donors have included James Mackelvie, who with Sir George Grey was a founding patron, and in the present day, the Chartwell Trust and Julian and Josie Robertson. The collection includes major holdings of New Zealand historic, modern and contemporary art. These artworks plot a visual history of New Zealand, beginning with the first contact between Māori and European explorers in the 1600s. Outstanding works by Māori and Pacific Island artists are a powerful feature of our holdings, and the international painting, sculpture and print collections connect us with the world beyond the Pacific. The diversity of mediums and artistic practices in the collection also continues to grow. Our oldest work of art is a sandstone figure from the walls of a Hindu temple in North India. And our newest is likely to be a commissioned artwork we are creating with an artist right now. Taken together, our holdings are widely considered to comprise New Zealand’s pre-eminent public art collection.

Your guide to what’s on in September at the Gallery.This month we’re celebrating Te Wiki o te reo Māori with a series of...
31/08/2026

Your guide to what’s on in September at the Gallery.

This month we’re celebrating Te Wiki o te reo Māori with a series of free events, relaxed hours are launching and more! Swipe for the full line-up ➡️

More info including timings via the ‘events’ link in bio.

Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki is saddened by the death of groundbreaking Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama (1929–2026). K...
27/08/2026

Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki is saddened by the death of groundbreaking Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama (1929–2026).

Kusama lived an extraordinary life, influenced by hallucinations she experienced from an early age, which later fed into the iconic polka-dot world she would create. Departing Japan for the United States of America in 1958, she became renowned for her avant-garde film work, painting and later soft sculpture which was infiltrated with vast fields of dots. Her life’s work is celebrated today for its distinction and adventurous scope of vision.

From 9 December 2017 to 2 April 2018, the Gallery hosted Kusama’s participatory installation 'the obliteration room' in Te Aka Matua | the Creative Learning Centre. During its 115-day presentation, the installation attracted an incredible 149,804 visitors making it one of the most visited installation pieces on display. The work captured the imaginations of visitors, inviting those to transform an entirely white domestic space with colourful dot stickers.

More recently, the Gallery displayed Kusama’s 2005 work 'The Passing Winter' as part of the exhibition 'Light from Tate: 1700s to Now'.

Kusama will be remembered for her bold, risk-taking and singular vision, which challenged conventions and transformed how audiences experience contemporary art.

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Image credit: Yayoi Kusama, 'the obliteration room', 2002–present (installation view: Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, 2017–8), Collaboration between Yayoi Kusama and Queensland Art Gallery. Commissioned Queensland Art Gallery. Gift of the artist through the Queensland Art Gallery Foundation 2012. Collection: Queensland Art Gallery, Australia.

26/08/2026

Less doomscrolling. More gallery-going 🎨✨

Research suggests that looking at artworks in a gallery setting can help us shift out of stress mode and into a more regulated state, similar to what happens during meditation or deep sleep.

If your winter hibernation has included a little too much doomscrolling, consider this your sign to swap your feed for a screen-free reset at the Gallery.

Visit us 10am–5pm daily. Free entry.

22/08/2026

Slow down, switch off and enjoy a moment to yourself. The Gallery is the perfect place to take a break.

Start planning your next visit via link in bio 🔗

🌟 Forever Tomorrow: Chinese Art Now 🌟Final weekend. Entry $10. Link in bio for more info.
22/08/2026

🌟 Forever Tomorrow: Chinese Art Now 🌟

Final weekend. 

Entry $10. Link in bio for more info.

21/08/2026

It’s your last chance to visit ‘Forever Tomorrow: Chinese Art Now’ before it closes this Sunday 💫

With 67 standout artworks to explore, you might be wondering where to start. Our Gallery Assistants are here to help!

In this series, they’re sharing the works they have personally connected with and why they think it deserves a little more of your time and attention.

Here’s Jake with his must-see work.

🗓️ ‘Forever Tomorrow: Chinese Art Now’ closes Sunday 23 August. 
🎟️ Final weeks special – tickets just $10! Book your tickets via the link in bio or at our front desk.

       

——
🎨 Zhang Peili, ‘Uncertain Pleasure II’, 1996, six-channel VHS tape transferred to digital video (colour, silent) and CRT monitor. M+, Hong Kong © Zhang Peili

20/08/2026

POV: you’re seeing the Gallery in a new light ✨🌙

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for tonight’s Open Late event – we loved seeing the Gallery so full of joy.

From art, music and performances to catch-ups and kai – here’s a little look back at a very special night 💛

See you at the next Open Late on Thursday 19 November!

Proudly supported by Auckland Council Events.

Post #2How incredible are these artworks by local students! 😍The ‘Pat Hanly Creativity Awards’ student exhibition celeb...
20/08/2026

Post #2
How incredible are these artworks by local students! 😍

The ‘Pat Hanly Creativity Awards’ student exhibition celebrates young artists in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.

Starting with the Pat Hanly Creativity Awards programme – a collaborative programme of workshops with our studio artist and inspiration-gathering at the Gallery, over 1200 students then created their own original works in response to the theme: Ko au te taiao/I am the environment. From these, 34 artists’ works were chosen to have be displayed at the Gallery.

Congratulations to the selected artists (in order of appearance):

🌟 Salote Kaufusi
🌟 Kai St John-Harris Spencer
🌟 Antonia Rhind-Rushton
🌟 Arna Vincent
🌟 Sihoo Park
🌟 Lilly Clemenets
🌟 John James-Tilo
🌟 Logan Buttimore
🌟 Olivia Pui
🌟 Jez Fangupo
🌟 Lilah Ellis
🌟 Noah Rolston
🌟 Sam Shaw
🌟 Laura Ngui

Come see the talent of these young artists in this special exhibition. Open now, until Sunday 13 September.

Celebrating Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland’s next generation of artists 🎨✨ More than 1200 Year 12 and Year 13 students took pa...
19/08/2026

Celebrating Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland’s next generation of artists 🎨✨

More than 1200 Year 12 and Year 13 students took part in the Pat Hanly Creativity Awards Gallery education project, with 34 artists chosen to have their work exhibited at the Gallery in this special exhibition.

‘Student exhibition | Pat Hanly Creativity Awards’ open now, until Sunday 13 September.

Congratulations to the selected artists (in order of appearance):

🌟 Ella Kwan-Him
🌟 Jacob Macfarlane
🌟 Lily Lei
🌟 Charlie B***e
🌟 Jai Weaver
🌟 Aki Aki Leituala
🌟 Paris Huynh
🌟 Kate Stevens
🌟 Megan Smith
🌟 Graciela Jocelyn Setyadi
🌟 Erika Villejo
🌟 Olive Dixon
🌟 Aurelia Kment

Part two of the artists’ portraits coming soon!

Address

Corner Kitchener And Wellesley Streets
Auckland
1010

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 5pm
Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm
Sunday 10am - 5pm

Telephone

+6493077700

Website

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