For over 50 years, Dame Robin White’s art has portrayed people and their environments in Aotearoa New Zealand, Kiribati, Fiji, Tonga, and beyond. These places have transformed her life and art.

In late 1971, Robin White moved to Dunedin and bought a cottage in Portobello on Muaūpoko (Otago Peninsula). She immediately immersed herself in ‘learning’ her new surroundings. Her paintings of the 1970s helped create an image of Aotearoa New Zealand. Works such as this are now iconic.

In 1982, Robin White and her family moved to the Pacific nation of Kiribati to assist the local Bahá'í community.

Life on a remote atoll brought changes to Robin White’s art. She began using materials at hand, like wood for woodblock prints. Her focus shifted to people and stories of the wider Pacific.

Since 1999, she has been living back in Aotearoa New Zealand in Masterton and continues to collaborate with many other Pacific artists – each with their own history and vision of the future.

Tour schedule

The touring itinerary is scheduled for the South Island in 2025/6 and the North Island in 2027, with venues being currently confirmed.

Hosting enquiries

Jake Yocum, Touring Exhibition Manager
Phone: +64 (0)4 381 7317
Email: touringexhibitions@tepapa.govt.nz