Image: New Zealand Portrait Gallery, Wellington
The New Zealand Portrait Gallery Te Pūkenga Whakaata in Wellington has opened ‘Portraits from the Parkin Collection’, an exhibition bringing together portraits by modern and contemporary artists from Aotearoa New Zealand. Drawn from the collection of Sir Chris and Kathy Parkin, the presentation runs from 20 August through 8 November 2026 at the gallery’s Shed 11 venue on Wellington’s waterfront.
Curated by Anna Rigg, the exhibition offers a selection from what the gallery describes as one of the capital’s most public-facing private collections. It includes established favourites, recent acquisitions and works that are not usually available for public viewing, giving visitors access to different parts of the Parkins’ holdings within a single presentation.
Artists represented include Rita Angus, Nigel Brown, John Walsh and Fiona Pardington. The works span modern and contemporary approaches to portraiture, reflecting the breadth of artistic practices found in the collection rather than presenting a single formal or historical account of the genre.
The exhibition page identifies Kate MacKenzie’s ‘Ode To Chris Parkin’ (2024), an oil painting on canvas, as a featured work. The newsletter accompanying the exhibition also lists John Walsh’s ‘Matakihau the Messenger’ (2024), an oil painting on gold on board held in the Parkin Collection. It additionally identifies Nigel Brown’s ‘Glenn Colquhoun at Dusky’ (2008), an oil painting on canvas held by the New Zealand Portrait Gallery Te Pūkenga Whakaata as a gift from the artist.
A floor talk with curator Anna Rigg and art collector Chris Parkin is scheduled for Saturday 5 September from 11am to noon. The event will take place at the gallery and is presented as part of the exhibition programme. The gallery’s September newsletter describes the talk as a celebration of the new exhibition.
The New Zealand Portrait Gallery Te Pūkenga Whakaata is located at Shed 11, 60 Lady Elizabeth Lane, Wellington Waterfront. It is open daily from 10am to 4.30pm. Entry is free for New Zealanders, while international visitors aged 18 and over are charged NZ$10. The venue is on one level and provides an accessible toilet, automatic sliding doors, a wheelchair for use within the gallery and low-stool seating. ‘Portraits from the Parkin Collection’ remains on view until 8 November 2026.
