Robin White: Tuituia | Something is Happening Here, a national touring exhibition from Te Papa, opens at Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum and Gallery this Saturday 1 August.
Presented alongside a complementary exhibition drawn from the museum's own collection, it offers a rare opportunity to experience the breadth and evolution of White's remarkable five-decade career.
Touring from the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Robin White: Tuituia | Something is Happening Here features a selection of works from the acclaimed 2022 retrospective exhibition developed by Te Papa and Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki. Bringing together iconic works from across White's career, it explores her enduring connections to people, place and community throughout Aotearoa and the Pacific.
Complementing the touring exhibition is Robin White: At Home With Us, drawn from Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum and Gallery's collection, one of the largest holdings of Robin White's work in Aotearoa. Featuring 52 works acquired between the 1970s and 2018, the exhibition traces five decades of White's practice while highlighting the museum's longstanding commitment to collecting and preserving significant New Zealand art.
Director Rachael Davies says hosting the touring exhibition alongside the Museum's own collection demonstrates the important role regional museums and galleries play in connecting communities with nationally significant art.
"These exhibitions are a powerful example of what regional audiences can experience close to home. We are proud to welcome a major touring exhibition from Te Papa while also sharing the depth of our own Robin White collection, built over decades through the support of our community, donors and funding partners."
Davies says the dual exhibition experience offers visitors an unparalleled opportunity to engage with White's work.
"Together, the exhibitions reveal both the national significance of Dame Robin White's practice and the strength of the Waikato collection. Visitors can experience iconic works that have shaped New Zealand art history alongside lesser-known pieces that show the remarkable breadth of her career."
Hanahiva Rose, Curator Contemporary Art, Te Papa, says the exhibition celebrates a contemporary New Zealand artist whose imagery continues to shape the country’s national identity and a sense of place in Aotearoa and in the Pacific.
“With a prolific career spanning five decades, Dame Robin urges us to look with new eyes at the world around us. From the local fish and chip shop in Maketu, to maneaba in Kiribati, or the intimate interior of a living room in Lautoka, her work pulls people and place into sharp focus.
“Her work, increasingly made in collaboration with other artists, demonstrates her commitment to learning and capacity for transformation. It is a pleasure to bring this exhibition to Aotearoa’s regional centres and celebrate the environments that have influenced her work.”
At Home With Us further explores these themes through works including ‘White's Place, Raglan’, documenting her family's connection to the Waikato region, as well as landscapes, portraits, prints and collaborative Pacific works that trace the evolution of her artistic practice.
Together, the two exhibitions celebrate an artist whose work continues to resonate across generations while highlighting Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum and Gallery's ability to host major national touring exhibitions and share significant cultural collections with regional audiences.
Both exhibitions run until 11th November 2026 and are free to visit.