A black rectangle with an artwork of a woven cloak hanging over a circle of similar woven material.

Toi Art

He tirohanga hou. Ngā tino hou. Ka kitea ēnei i Toi Art – te kāinga o te Kohinga Toi ā-Motu.

Kia auaha i te Papa Toi he pai mō te whānau, kimihia ngā ringatoi hou, ka noho rānei ki te taha o tētahi mahi toi tino pai ki a koe.

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Fresh takes and new favourites. You’ll find them in Toi Art – the home of the National Art Collection.

Discover new artists, get creative in the whānau-friendly Art Studio, or spend time with a favourite artwork.

Credit: Installation view, 2025, Maureen Lander, Huna: Kaitiaki o te Harakeke, 2012. Commissioned by Te Papa (ME024116)

When | Āhea

Long-term exhibition

Where | Ki hea

Toi Art, Levels 4 and 5

Cost | Te utu

Free with museum entry

Ages | TE REANGA

All ages

Allow | ME WHAKARITE

1–2 hours

Accessibility | E wātea ana ki

Visual guide to Toi Art
Wheelchair accessible
Subtitles on all videos
Variable lighting, artworks with UV light
Whānau-friendly activity space (Level 5)
Seating available
Toilets on both levels
Parents’ room (Level 5)

What’s new in Toi Art?

Toi Art includes galleries on Levels 4 and 5, with changing exhibitions of paintings, sculpture, photography tīvaevae, jewellery, drawings, ceramics, and more.

Get creative in our hands-on, whānau-friendly activity space. There’s art-making for all ages, from shadow play to a story wheel that will get your imagination spinning. You’ll also find dedicated activities for Te Papa’s youngest art explorers.

NZSL intro to Toi Art

Toi Art Events

A large art gallery space with an artwork made from chrome bars, a red umbrella, and some beds set into the bars.

Toi Art Drop-in: Cardboard Creations

27 Dec & 4 Jan
Build cardboard tube creations inspired by Yona Lee’s artwork, Kit-set In-Transit at this free interactive drop-in session for tamariki.

A close up of a hand drawing a bird on a piece of brown paper.

Toi Art Saturdays: Sit and Sketch

Sat 3 Jan

Settle in front of your favourite artworks with paper and pencil, and see where your hand and imagination take you.

Two performers wearing costumes like puffy exoskeletons hold hands as they lean back. Viewers stand around them, watching on.

Toi Art Saturdays: Body Island present ‘Mythosoma – Limbs of a W(o)man’

28 Feb
Discover something new in Toi Art each month – talks, performances, and activities inspired by the exhibitions on show.

A man in a stripey shirt and beard is smiling and holding a pot in front of a collection of books and pots.

Toi Art talk: Collecting – A lifelong pursuit

31 Jan
Passionate collectors of design, decorative art and antiques share their stories of obsession, instinct and luck in this special event celebrating the exhibition Towards Modernism.

A person is talking to two other people about an artwork on the wall that is brightly coloured string on a black wall.

Lucky Dip Art Talks

Twice a week, zoom in on the artworks and stories in Toi Art, with a 15-minute tour guided by Te Papa’s knowledgeable hosts.

An image of an orange-red table with tea and teapots along with three-tierd plates with small cakes.

Eat Your Art Out

A high tea to delight your eyes and taste buds.

Guided Tours | He haerenga ārahi

A person in a green shirt is describing an artwork to two other people.

Art Narratives Tour

Journey through carefully selected highlights from galleries showcasing the diversity and innovation of contemporary art in Aotearoa New Zealand. From monumental sculptures and moving images to embroidery, ceramics, and even a playable video game, discover how contemporary artists are shaping and reflecting our nation's evolving story.

Education resources | Rauemi mātauranga

An art work with a woven harakeke (flax) cape is hanging over another woven artwork arranged in a circle on the white ground.

Art education visits

From Wāhine Toi, Kōrero Pūrākau, to Lines of Connection, find out about the Art Learning Programmes we're currently running.

Books from Te Papa Press | Pukapuka ki Te Papa Press

Leslie Adkin: Farmer Photographer

A superb selection of the work of one of New Zealand’s finest early photographers.

Book cover showing the title, author and a close up of a brown pottery vase that has short white downward stripes and black horizontal stripes.

Towards Modernism: The Walter Cook Collection at Te Papa

Richly illustrated with over 300 objects, from art pottery to Danish design, this book showcases the stars of the collection while offering an engaging short course in design history.

Titiro ki roto i a Toi Art kia rapu kōrero mō ngā ringatoi i te whakatakotorangaLook inside Toi Art and find out about the artists in the slideshow below

Tētēkura
Ralph Hotere, Shona Rapira-Davies
Threshold Gallery, Papa 4, June 2025 to December 2026
E rua ngā mahi toi nui whakaharahara – ko tētahi i hangaia ki te rākau kua pakawera, ko tērā atu he uku kua tahuna. He whai wāhitanga motuhake ki te tūtaki ki ngā whetū tārake e rua o te toi Māori o nāianei: ko *Black phoenix* nā Ralph Hotere (Te Aupōuri), ā, ko *Nga morehu* nā Shona Rapira-Davies (Ngāti Wai).
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Two monumental artworks – one made from burnt timber, the other from fired clay. An unmissable opportunity to encounter two icons of contemporary Māori art: *Black phoenix* by Ralph Hotere (Te Aupōuri) and *Nga morehu* by Shona Rapira-Davies (Ngāti Wai).
Credit: Toi Art. Photo by Jane Harris. Te Papa

Leslie Adkin
He Kaipāmu Kaiwhakaahua
Farmer Photographer
Toi Art, Level 4, June 2025 to December 2026
Ko ngā whakaahua a Leslie Adkin ka hopu i ngā tirohanga onge o te ao o ia rā mai i ngā tau 1900 ki ngā tau 1930. Ko tēnei kohinga whakaahua whānui e kapi ana i ngā whakaahua aroha o tana hoa wahine aroha, o Maud, tae atu ki ngā āhua o te noho i te pāmu whānau e tata ana ki Taitoko. Whakamātauhia te kanohi ahurei o tētahi o ngā tino kaiwhakaahua tuatahi o Aotearoa. Tirohia te pukapuka *Leslie Adkin*.
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Leslie Adkin’s photographs capture rare glimpses of everyday life from the 1900s to the 1930s. This expansive selection of photographs ranges from affectionate portraits of Adkin’s beloved wife, Maud, to life on the family farm near Levin. Experience the unique eye of one of New Zealand’s finest early photographers. Discover the book *Leslie Adkin*.
Credit: Leslie Adkin – *He Kaipāmu Kaiwhakaahua* | *Farmer Photographer.* Photo by Maarten Holl. Te Papa (266623)

Anne Noble
Oranga Huna
Hidden Lives
The Euan and Ann Sinclair Gallery, Level 5, June 2025 to April 2026
I roto i tana raupapa whakaahua o ngā tau 1990, o ‘Hidden Lives: The Work of Care’, i hopu a Anne Noble i te āhuatanga o te oranga o ngā pakeke tokorima mate hinengaro, me ō rātou kaitiaki. Kei ēnei whakaahua ko Audrey Thetford me tōna whaea, ko Gladys, e noho tahi ana i Miramar ki Te Whanganui-a-Tara.
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In her 1990s series ‘Hidden Lives: The Work of Care’, photographer Anne Noble documented the lives of five adults with intellectual disabilities and their carers. This selection of photographs features Audrey Thetford and her mother, Gladys, as they go about their daily life in Wellington’s Miramar.
In her 1990s series ‘Hidden Lives: The Work of Care’, photographer Anne Noble documented the lives of five adults with intellectual disabilities and their carers. This selection of photographs features Audrey Thetford and her mother, Gladys, as they go about their daily life in Wellington’s Miramar.
Credit: Anne Noble – *Oranga Huna* | *Hidden Lives*. Photo by Maarten Holl. Te Papa (267013)

Ki te Toi Hou: Ngā Hoahoa Matapaia e Ono
Towards Modernism: Seven Domestic Designs
Toi Art, Level 5, June 2025 to February 2026
Mai i ngā tau 1960, i hangaia e Walter Cook tētahi kohinga toi rākei ahurei – he maha nōna i kitea i ngā toa tawhito, me ngā toa hoko-tukurua o Pōneke. Ko ēnei taonga nō Peretānia me Ūropi mai i te Kohinga o Walter Cook e whakaatu ana i ngā whakaaro e panoni ana ki te ao hou, mai i ngā tau 1870 ki ngā tau 1960. Tirohia te pukapuka *Towards Modernism*.
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From the 1960s, Walter Cook built up a unique collection of decorative art – much of it found in Wellington’s antique and second-hand shops. These British and European objects from the Walter Cook Collection illustrate evolving ideas of modernity, from the 1870s to the 1960s. Discover the book Towards Modernism.
Credit: *Ki te Toi Hou: Ngā Hoahoa Matapaia e Ono* | *Towards Modernism: Seven Domestic Designs*. Photo by Maarten Holl. Te Papa (266589)

Mahi Rārangi
Line Work
Toi Art, Level 5, June 2025 to April 2026
Ka whakakao mai tēnei whakaaturanga i ngā mahi rārangi. Tokotoru ngā ringatoi o ngā reanga e toru – ko Pip Culbert rātou ko Susan Te Kahurangi King, ko Yona Lee – ka haurapa i ngā mahi tā i runga whārangi, i roto hoki i tētahi wāhi ōkiko.
Ko ngā āhua, ko ngā mea, me ngā rauemi o ia rā, ka hanga houhia hei taonga rerekē noa atu.
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This exhibition brings together works that play with lines. Artists of three generations – Pip Culbert, Susan Te Kahurangi King, and Yona Lee – explore the practice of drawing, on the page and in physical space.
Everyday figures, objects, and materials appear in new shapes, suddenly unfamiliar.
Credit: *Mahi Rārangi* | *Line Work*. Photo by Maaren Holl. Te Papa (266592)

Maureen Lander
Aho Huna, Aho Whai
Threads of Connection
Toi Art, Level 5, June 2025 to December 2026
Mai i ngā puninga aho atarau ki ngā mahi harakeke rauangi, toroa ngā mahi toi a Maureen Lander (Ngāpuhi, Te Hikutū, Pākehā). Ko Lander he aho whakaheke, he ruahine nō te whare pora o Hine-te-iwaiwa.
Ko tā tēnei whakaaturanga he whakanui, he toro i ngā taonga whai a Maureen Lander i whanake mai ai i te whakatuwheratanga o Te Papa i te tau 1998, i te taha o ētahi atu whiringa mahi hira.
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From dazzling UV-light installations to delicate work in harakeke, experience the art of Maureen Lander (Ngāpuhi, Te Hikutu, Pākehā). Lander is one of New Zealand’s foremost experts on raranga and a master weaver herself.
This exhibition presents *String games*, created for Te Papa’s opening in 1998, alongside other major works celebrating and exploring Māori art forms.
Credit: Maureen Lander – *Aho Huna, Aho Whai* | *Threads of Connection*. Photo by Maarten Holl. Te Papa (266582)

Kōrero Pūrākau
Telling Stories
Toi Art, Level 5, June 2025 to December 2026
He peita, he tīvaevae, he whakapīwari, he kēmu ataata, he tui whakaniko – ko tā tēnei wharetoi he toro i tā te ringatoi tuku kōrero pūrākau. Ka hono ētahi o ngā mahi toi ki te whakapapa, ki ngā kōrero tuku iho. Ko tā ētahi he whakaahua i tētahi huinga, waiho ai mā pohewa e whakamāori.
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Paintings, tīvaevae, jewellery, video games, embroidery – this gallery explores ways in which artists tell stories. Some of the artworks connect with whakapapa, oral traditions, or family stories. Others seem to capture a moment, leaving a bigger picture to the imagination.
Credit: *Kōrero Pūrākau* | *Telling Stories*. Photo by Maarten Holl. Te Papa (266567)

Ariā
Traces
Toi Art, Level 5, August 2025 to December 2026
Ko ngā taonga kei tēnei wharetoi kua oreorengia, kua tahia, kua kōmiria, kua tāia hoki kia ora mai. Toroa ngā mahi a te tokowhitu ringatoi e whāwhā nei ki ngā tukanga me ngā rauemi, ki te waihanga mai i ngā hanganga hou.
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The artworks in this gallery have been danced, swept, moulded, and painted into being. Explore how seven artists manipulate processes and materials to create new, abstract forms.

Tūtakinga Toi: Traffic Cop Bay
Art Encounter: Traffic Cop Bay
Toi Art, Level 5, August 2025 to December 2026
Kia āta noho ki a *Traffic Cop Ba*y nā Bill Hammond. Aro ki te mahi. Aro ki te tohu. Aroha ki te nāianei.
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Spend some time in the company of Bill Hammond’s *Traffic Cop Bay*. When you look longer, you’ll be amazed at what you discover.

Ruth Buchanan: *Priorities, whakapapa / Or, Door, window, world…*
Toi Art, Level 5, September 2025 to December 2026
Nō ngā mahi toi nā Ruth Buchanan ēnei paparanga o te hiraka, o te tāpora, o te kirihou-3, o te mekameka.
E whakaatu ana tēnei mahi i te āheinga o te waihanga i tētahi mea hou mā te whakamahi i ngā rawa kei ngā ringaringa kē, me te ihi o te toitūtanga. Ka hono tēnei mahi toi i tōna haurongo me tana mahi toi ki a Te Papa – e tū ana, e anga atu ana ki te pae o te pā o Te Aro.
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These layers of silk, hessian, PVC, and chain are from artworks by Ruth Buchanan.
This work reveals the potential of what can be made with what we already have, and the power of continuity. The artwork connects Buchanan’s biography and art practice with Te Papa – located on and facing the site of Te Aro Pā.
Credit: Ruth Buchanan: Priorities, whakapapa / Or, Door, window, world… Photo by Maarten Holl. Te Papa (273031)

Papa Toi
Art Studio
Toi Art, Level 5, June 2025 to December 2026
Kia ringa auaha i tētahi wāhi mahi pai mō te whānau. He mahi toi mā ngā reanga katoa, mai i te whakaari atarau, ki tētahi wīra kōrero pūrākau e tāwhirowhiro ake ai ō tokonga whakaaro. Ka kitea hoki ētahi atu mahi ngākau nui ki ngā kaitoro pōtiki mahi toi a Te Papa.
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Get creative in our hands-on, whānau-friendly activity space. There’s art-making for all ages, from shadow play to a story wheel that will get your imagination spinning. You’ll also find dedicated activities for Te Papa’s youngest art explorers.
Credit: Papa Toi Art Studio. Photo by Maarten Holl. Te Papa (266552)

Discover more about Toi ArtToroa ngā kōrero mō Toi Art

Find connections to art on display and in our collections | Rapua ngā pānga ki te toi e hora nei, kei ngā kohinga rānei

Visual guide to Toi Art
A visual guide for the Toi Art galleries, which are on Levels 4 and 5 of Te Papa.
Watch: Behind the scenes – installing Maureen Lander’s artworks for Aho Huna, Aho Whai
Artist Maureen Lander (Ngāpuhi, Te Hikutū, Pākehā) is one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s foremost experts on raranga (weaving) and a master weaver herself. She is known for combining Māori techniques and materials with contemporary multimedia. Watch her daughter Kerry Lander collaborate with Maureen whil installing Aho Huna, Aho Whai | Threads of Connection in Toi Art.
Towards Modernism: The Walter Cook Collection at Te Papa
Richly illustrated with over 300 objects, from art pottery to Danish design, this book showcases the stars of the collection while offering an engaging short course in design history.
Leslie Adkin: Farmer Photographer
A superb selection of the work of one of New Zealand’s finest early photographers.
Art Narratives Tour
Journey through carefully selected highlights from galleries showcasing the diversity and innovation of contemporary art in Aotearoa New Zealand. From monumental sculptures and moving images to embroidery, ceramics, and even a playable video game, discover how contemporary artists are shaping and reflecting our nation's evolving story.

From $50
Ruby’s Room – Tales from Te Papa
Curator Photography Athol McCredie gives us an insight into a very different view of childhood by photographer, Anne Noble.
Art and photography
Explore the work of artists such as Robin White, Tiffany Singh, Matt Pine, Colin McCahon, Tony Fomison, and Rita Angus through videos, podcasts, and in-depth articles. Find out about favourite art works from our curators, or see what is in our collections.
Watch: Cook Islands Tīvaevae, stitched with love
Discover the art of tīvaevae (quilting) with Cook Islands women from the Wellington region.
Leslie Adkin
Leslie Adkin was a farmer and noted amateur geologist and ethnologist. Photography was also a passion of his, and he documented every aspect of his life, from his family to his scientific interests, from the 1910s until the 1950s. Explore some of the Leslie Adkin collection.
Eight Jane Dodd brooches
Zoom in on the detail of each of these eight brooches made by jeweller Jane Dodd, from bone, sterling silver, sapphire, marcasite, and gold.

Find out more about art at Te Papa

Take a close look at some of the taonga on display on Collections OnlineĀta tirohia ētahi o ngā taonga e whata mai rā i Ngā Kohinga ā-Ipurangi

Object
Tīvaevae 'Ina and the shark' (embroidered quilt)
Mrs Maria Teokotaicirca 1990FE010090
Object
Shark, Angel, Bird, Ladder
John Pule20082010-0034-1/A-B to B-B
Object
Puss puss
Teuane Tibbocirca 19701996-0021-1
Object
Hidden Lives: the work of care. Gladys Thetford and her daughter Audrey
Anne Noble1992-1994O.027961/9
Object
Peter Pan on Mt Eden
James Walter Chapman-Taylor1928O.002438
Object
Christopher Bede Studios
Frank Hofmann1967O.044647
Object
Krenit bowls
Torben Orskov & Co. A/S1953-66CG001945/1-8
Object
Jug
Linthorpe Art Pottery1879 -1882CG001806
Object
Above Wellington
Toss Woollaston19861987-0012-1
Object
Untitled
Susan Te Kahurangi Kingcirca 1974 - 19792024-0013-4
Object
White Shirt
Pip Culbert19922002-0039-3
Object
Installation artwork "Huna: Kaitiaki o te Harakeke"
Maureen Lander2012ME024116
Object
Turou a Tara'are (Greetings of Tara'are)
Tapaeru Tara'are Skinnon2000FE011606
Object
Moths on the window
Eileen Mayo19692015-0028-4
Object
Mihi Aroha 1
Hāriata Rōpata-Tangahoe20202021-0024-2
Object
Pathology
Luise Fong19932003-0045-1/A-B to B-B