The Artist Exhibition At Te Atamira Champions Local Creatives

On Friday 5 December, Te Atamira will open a new portrait exhibition which celebrates the creative talent of the Queenstown Lakes District and beyond.

The Artist features 20 portraits by esteemed multidisciplinary artist Julia Holden. Building on a body of eight works begun in Ōtepoti Dunedin in 2024 and a self-portrait recently housed in the NZ Portrait Gallery as part of their exhibition Me: Artists Paint Themselves, the new works completing the collection to be exhibited are the result of Holden’s two-month residence at Te Atamira between August – October 2025.

11 artists from varied fields stood as a living canvas for the creation of their portrait. Mostly local to Queenstown and Wānaka, well-known comedian Tom Sainsbury from Auckland also took part.

Holden’s collaborative process sees participants become co-creators rather than passive subjects. The completed works merge traditional painting with sculpture, performance, photography and new media, encouraging interaction and exchange rooted in community dialogue.

Portraits include ‘The Vintner’ featuring Duncan Forsyth of Mount Edward wines, ‘The Jeweller’ featuring local jewellery designer Jessica Winchcombe alongside others including architects, musicians, a breadsmith, a sculptor, a composer and more.

Ruth Heath, Director of Te Atamira, says, “It’s been exciting to work alongside Julia as The Artist project has evolved - a body of work that shines a light on the people in our everyday lives who make meaningful contributions to our world, often in ways that go unrecognised or taken for granted. We’re delighted to present such an engaging portrait exhibition at Te Atamira, one that breaks with tradition and challenges perceptions of what a portrait can be, and who we consider to be an artist.”

Exhibition events:

• The Artist exhibition opening

5:30pm, Friday 5 December 2026 | Manaaki Nui gallery space

Free to attend, all welcome.

Join Julia Holden and many of the participating artists as they come together to open the exhibition and celebrate our creative community.

• Artist talk with Julia Holden

10:30am, Saturday 6 December 2026 | Manaaki Nui gallery space

Free to attend, all welcome

The Artist exhibition will be open and free to visit in the Manaaki Nui gallery space of Te Atamira from Friday 5 December 2025 – Tuesday 24 February 2026. All works are available to purchase.

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