02 Sep The Sarjeant Gallery announces the artists of Ināianei | Current – the forthcoming exhibition at the Sarjeant Gallery opening in November 2026. Generously sponsored by Craigs Investment Partners Whanganui
PRESS RELEASE
RELEASED Monday 31 August 2026
L – R Samantha Matthews, Glen Hutchins, Kirk Nicholls, Katie Brown, Leigh Anderton-Hall. Absent Trina TauruaThe Sarjeant Gallery announces the artists of Ināianei | Current – the forthcoming exhibition at the Sarjeant Gallery opening in November 2026 and generously sponsored by Craigs Investment Partners Whanganui.
Opening in November Ināianei | Current brings together works from six practitioners from the Whanganui region and provides audiences with a vivid and dynamic snapshot of artistic practice in Whanganui as it exists today.
The Ināianei | Current artists are:
Leigh Anderton-Hall
Katie Brown
Glen Hutchins
Samantha Matthews
Kirk Nicholls
Trina Taurua
The selected artists work in diverse mediums – ceramic, glass, painting, photography, sculpture and weaving.
Ināianei | Current is a biennial exhibition, generously sponsored by Craigs Investment Partners Whanganui. The exhibition concept has been developed to further strengthen the gallery’s commitment to uplifting artists living and working in the Whanganui region, and to showcase the depth of creative talent in Aotearoa today.
Exhibition curator Jessica Kidd says: “Ināianei | Current brings together a group of local artists chosen for the fresh, considered ways they engage with the ideas, mediums and creative dialogues shaping contemporary practice in Aotearoa right now. We are delighted to be working alongside such a strong, exciting group of artists, and like everyone else, we can’t wait to see the first Ināianei show come together”
This is an important opportunity for artists to exhibit a substantial body of work in a public gallery; all artists will be producing new work for Ināianei | Current.
“This selected group of artists will create a vibrant and exciting exhibition which is the intention of Ināianei | Current – to showcase the dynamic energy in the artists of Aotearoa and most especially the work they’re making in Whanganui today,” says Sarjeant Gallery director, Andrew Clifford.
Zac O’Brien, Investment Adviser at Craigs Investment Partners Whanganui, says “The Sarjeant Gallery is an important part of Whanganui’s cultural identity, and we are delighted to support Ināianei | Current. Through this partnership, we are proud to help showcase the exceptional artists who live and create in our region.”
The inaugural Ināianei | Current exhibition will open on Saturday 7 November 2026 at Te Whare o Rehua Sarjeant Gallery.
Artist talks and workshops will follow the opening of the exhibition and will be announced in due course.
Ināianei | Current artists:
Leigh Anderton-Hall, is an artist whose ceramic practice explores memory, storytelling, and shared cultural histories. Inspired by nature, architecture, and personal experience, she creates richly textured forms using expressive glazes and painted surfaces. A former UCOL tutor, she is represented by Space Studio & Gallery and has exhibited widely throughout Aotearoa New Zealand.
“This show is a bit of a milestone for me. After thirty years in Whanganui, and all those years of teaching, to be part of the Ināianei | Current exhibition at the Sarjeant Gallery feels pretty special. The work in this show is where my practice has landed—clay, surface, and the stories objects carry.” – Leigh Anderton-Hall
Katie Brown is a glass artist whose work explores the interplay of line, form, and light. Drawing on nearly 30 years of experience, she combines Venetian glassmaking techniques with a contemporary aesthetic. Inspired by Aotearoa’s landscapes, her sculptural and functional works are held in public and private collections internationally.
“It is a privilege to exhibit at the Sarjeant Gallery in the city I call home. Whanganui has shaped both my life and my practice, and this exhibition has given me the opportunity to create a new body of work exploring the relationship between light, line and glass.” – Katie Brown
Glen Hutchins is a painter who completed an MFA at Elam School of Fine Arts in 2003. A former studio assistant to Max Gimblett, he has exhibited extensively throughout New Zealand and been shortlisted for major national art awards. His work is held in significant public and private collections, including Te Papa and the Sarjeant Gallery.
“Having the opportunity to show alongside a great group of artists in this year’s Ināianei | Current exhibition has given me the incentive to produce a new body of work that draws inspiration from our surrounding landscape and the many times I visited Te Whare o Rehua Sarjeant Gallery as a child.” – Glen Hutchins
Samantha Matthews is a photographer whose work explores memory, nostalgia, and place through images of everyday life in Aotearoa New Zealand. She holds a Master of Art and Design from AUT and exhibits regularly. Her work is held in the collections of Te Papa and Te Whare o Rehua Sarjeant Gallery.
“To have the opportunity to exhibit at Te Whare o Rehua Sarjeant Gallery is simply indescribable. Throughout my practice it has always been a personal place of inspiration – with many exhibitions held in those spaces continuing to influence my relationship to photography – and in turn my own experience of home.” – Samantha Matthews
Kirk Nicholls is a sculptor whose practice combines handcrafted wall reliefs and recycled plastic sculptures. Drawing on pop culture, found objects, and the natural world, his work explores environmental and sociopolitical themes with humour and visual complexity. Nicholls’ vibrant forms transform everyday materials into imaginative, thought-provoking artworks. Nicholl’s spent years as a sculptor for film and television in Australia, Japan and New Zealand before focusing on his own art.
“I moved to Whanganui unexpectedly in 2009, literally two days after visiting for the first time. Ross Mitchell-Anyon was generous enough to give me an affordable studio that made it possible to work on art full time. It’s great to be part of the first Ināianei | Current show, it’s generating a real buzz in the arts community. I’m looking forward to the opening.” – Kirk Nicholls
Trina Taurua is a kairaranga and ringatoi Māori affiliated with Ngā Puhi, Ngā Rauru Kītahi, Te Ātihaunui-a-Pāpārangi and Ngā Wairiki Ngāti Apa. With more than 20 years’ experience, her weaving practice connects whakapapa, mātauranga Māori and contemporary expression, creating taonga that honour ancestral knowledge, whānau, whenua and future generations.
“My practice carries the whakapapa, aroha, narrative, wairua and inherited knowledge of my tūpuna. They paved the way for me, and within every whenu and pattern, their presence and teachings continue to live. So, this moment belongs to them as well.” – Trina Taurua
Media contact and enquiries:
For any further information o0r to receive in high res images, portraits, studio shots and expanded biographies, please contact Jaki.Arthur@sarjeant.org.nz Te Whare o Rehua Sarjeant Gallery Communications Lead (027 5774923)
The artists will be available for interviews after the opening on Saturday 7 November.
@SarjeantGallery #Ināianei #SarjeantGallery #TeWhareoRehuaSarjeantGallery
Notes to Editors
Te Whare o Rehua Sarjeant Gallery reopened in November 2024 after an extensive redevelopment and is now recognised as one of New Zealand’s best collecting and exhibiting institutions. The heritage building is one of New Zealand’s oldest purpose-built art galleries and has been joined by a state-of-the-art modern wing called Te Pātaka o Tā Te Atawhai Archie John Taiaroa. The permanent collection of Te Whare o Rehua Sarjeant Gallery is nationally significant.
Sarjeant.org.nz
Craigs Investment Partners is one of New Zealand’s largest investment advisory firms, offering bespoke solutions to both private investors and corporate clients. Craigs provides the complete breadth of private client and wealth management services including investment advice and management, securities trading, research, cash management, institutional dealing, and investment banking.
Craigs has over 190 qualified Investment Advisers, servicing over 70,000 clients across over 20 locations in New Zealand. Craigs has a team of 650 employees, over $35 billion in funds under management.
craigsip.com
