Curious creatures have wriggled out of artists’ imaginations and into the gallery!

This exhibition was made for kids and their whānau to explore the bizarre beasts in Te Papa’s art collection (and a few visiting creatures too).

So come discover why artists make these marvellous monsters. But beware – wicked goblins lurk within!

About the exhibition:

Curated by Dr Chelsea Nichols, Curator Modern Art, and Miri Young, Head of Learning Innovation, with special help from Year 3-6 kids at Kilbirnie School, Curious Creatures & Marvellous Monsters encourages kids to look at art with all of their senses.

“At Te Papa, we have collections filled with the wonderful things found in the real world – but artists can take you into the extraordinary world of the imaginary, to create creatures weirder and more magical than what we already know,” says Nichols.

The exhibition contains a mix of works from well-known and celebrated New Zealand artists, including Judy Darragh, Francis Upritchard, Angela Singer, Alexis Hunter, Bill Hammond, and Lisa Reihana, and new work by Gregor Kregar, as well as renowned international artists like Pablo Picasso and Albrecht Dürer, and historical works dating back from the 15th century.

“We’re giving kids important, meaty, challenging artworks from the collection,” says Nichols. “And we’re giving them the tools to help unpack what they might mean as they explore their own curiosity and imagination.”

Listen to Chelsea Nichols on RNZ