Major Exhibition By Women And Non-Binary Photographers Opens At Te Papa

Drawn from Te Papa collections, Slow Burn: Women and Photography | Ahi Tāmau: Māreikura Whakaahua brings together six decades of work by women and non-binary artists in Aotearoa, spanning from the 1960s to today.

Opening 28 February, this major survey exhibition features over 150 works by 50 artists, showcasing the diversity and depth of their photography, sparking a conversation between past and present.

From surprising contortions in playgrounds to moody and mysterious landscapes, from interrogations of the nude body to painterly portraits of flora and fire, Slow Burn | Ahi Tāmau is set to fascinate diverse audiences throughout its run.

The exhibition is curated by Te Papa Curator of Historical Photography Lissa Mitchell.

“The photographs on display are memorials and aspirations: big, small, loud, angry, beautiful, contemplative, reflective, uncertain, and diverse – just like the artists behind them,” says Mitchell.

Slow Burn | Ahi Tāmau builds on a decade of research and collecting, and Mitchell’s acclaimed 2023 publication, Through Shaded Glass: Women and Photography in Aotearoa New Zealand 1860–1960.

“Researching, collecting and writing about photography, I have often wondered where the women were. Work by women and non-binary photographers has long been underrepresented in collections and exhibitions, giving the false impression that they played only a minor role in the history of photography in Aotearoa.”

“Slow Burn | Ahi Tāmau speaks to the gradual recognition – the slow yet accelerating ignition of work to be seen. It brings 65 years of work out of the storeroom and into dialogue.”

Te Papa Tumu Whakarae | Chief Executive Courtney Johnston highlights the significance of the exhibition.

“Slow Burn is a timely and significant exhibition. The works selected reflect a decade of Lissa’s transformative research and development of the national art collection, building a richer, more inclusive art history for Aotearoa.”

“Familiar works appear in new contexts, while audiences will encounter artists never before featured in national-scale surveys, truly widening the lens on the country’s artistic legacy.”

The exhibition explores themes of identity, whānau, place, and connections across time through a feminist lens, and is presented in four sections:

• Joyriders – play, protest, and the body in motion

• Night Hawks – gender, performance, and the physical self

• Ancestor Technologies – photography as memory, materiality, and presence; and • The Near Future – quiet, intimate acts of love and self-determination.

To celebrate the opening of Slow Burn | Ahi Tāmau, the national museum will host a symposium about contemporary photography in Aotearoa, with a special focus on the work of women and photography. The event includes a keynote presentation from Natalie Robertson, a leading photographer, moving-image artist, and Associate Professor at Auckland University of Technology, and a new performance that is part of Ann Shelton’s ongoing series jane says.

Mitchell believes the symposium is an opportunity to deepen the conversation that this exhibition begins.

“Photography isn’t just about capturing a moment; it’s about shaping identity, sparking conversation, reflecting cultural change, and exploring how those ideas shift over time.”

“Running through the exhibition is the idea that creating takes time, and this event brings together artists and thinkers to examine the legacies of feminism and the slow, thoughtful processes that shape photographic practice today.”

Exhibiting artists include Abhi Chinniah, Anne Noble, Ans Westra, Becki Moss, Cora-Allan Lafaiki Twiss (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Tumutumu, Niue – Liku, Alofi), Edith Amituanai, Fiona Pardington (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Māmoe and Ngāti Kahungunu) – New Zealand’s representative at the 2026 Venice Biennale, Georgina Beyer (Te Āti Awa, Ngāti Mutunga, Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Porou), Joanna Margaret Paul, Lisa Reihana (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Hine, Ngāi Tū, Ngāi Tūpoto), Natalie Robertson (Ngāti Porou), Selina Ersadi, Tia Ranginui (Ngāti Hine Oneone) and many more.

A companion catalogue to the major photography exhibition published by Te Papa Press, Slow Burn Ahi Tāmau: Women and Photography Māreikura Whakaahua, provides historical context to the exhibition, includes a curator essay and biographies of the photographers, and is available from Te Papa Store.

Key dates

• Slow Burn: Women and Photography | Ahi Tāmau: Māreikura Whakaahua opens at Te Papa from Sat 28 Feb 2026

• Photography symposium takes place Sat 28 Feb 2026, 9am to 5pm | $60/$40

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