An exhibition of the best work from New Zealand’s most prestigious and longest-standing contemporary art awards returns to Porirua in December.

Artworks of the winners and finalists of this year’s Wallace Art Awards will once again be showcased at Pātaka Gallery + Museum, opening on December 16.

Pātaka Contemporary Art Curator Mark -Hutchins-Pond said the awards, which were now in their 27th year, were an example of “the breadth and diversity of contemporary art being produced in New Zealand at the moment”.

He said the exhibition had been a fixture at the gallery for more than a decade, and only missed appearing at Pātaka last year because the gallery was undergoing a complete refurbishment.

“The annual awards provide a rare snapshot of the most innovative and outstanding contemporary art in New Zealand today”, Hutchins-Pond said.

“The artworks of the winners and finalists, recognised in this year’s awards that are coming to Pātaka, are a mixture of well-known and emerging artists working in many different disciplines.

“We are delighted to welcome the Wallace Art Awards exhibition back to Porirua, as the featured artworks always spark debate among visitors, while providing an intriguing cross-section of what’s happening in contemporary art.”

This year’s exhibition features artworks by the eight winning artists in each category, including the Paramount Award winning artwork, Refusal to Yield, by Whangarei-born and now Auckland resident painter, Imogen
Taylor.

Most of the 85 finalists are also featured in the exhibition, incorporating works in a wide variety of art and visual media.

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