The Art of April

Karangahape Road has long been the place of artist studios and creative start-ups, and although the street is increasingly gentrified, the area in and around still plays host to many artist collectives, and houses the highest concentration of galleries per metre in the Auckland region, making it our Arts District.

With that in mind, it’s worth allocating a leisurely afternoon this April for an autumnal gallery crawl, after which, you can enjoy an early dinner in one of the many eateries also located on the famous strip. Here are some galleries, artist-run spaces and creative hubs worth making a beeline for.

Monster Valley

Monster Valley’s Pop-up Shop
Revolving Group Show

Always worth a squiz, Monster Valley is a creative agency and social enterprise with a permanent pop-up shop at the front of their gallery allocated to local alternative and emerging artists. 

Open Thurs & Fri 10am–5pm
74 Karangahape Road
monstervalley.co.nz

Mercury Plaza

Mixed Bag
Group Show

Nestled along the famous Cross Street resides arts hub Mercury Plaza – named in homage to the recently lost Mercury Plaza Food Court, Games Room and Supermarket. This April a selection of passionate Auckland photographers come together under one roof to share a selection of their favourite recent artworks. 

On until 15 April
4 Cross Street, Newton
@themercuryplaza

Anna Miles

Fever Lung
Barbara Tuck

Just off Karangahape, with a beautiful outlook onto the leafy surrounds of Grafton Graveyard, is Anna Miles Gallery. This April the gallery exhibits a new series of paintings titled Fever Lung by Barbara Tuck.

On until 24 April
10/30 Upper Queen Street
annamilesgallery.com

RM Gallery

In Searching of Deities
Yukari Kaihori 

RM Gallery is an artist-run space that celebrates and exhibits both emerging and established artists. This April they have several shows, of note is Yukari Kaihori – a visual artist based in Tāmaki Makaurau. In this exhibition Yuki focuses on the physical space of RM gallery and its connective energy with the community, bringing awareness to the “here and now”.

On until 10 April
3 Samoa House Lane, Newton
rm103.org

Artspace

I Think You Like Me, But I’ve Been Wrong About These Things Before
Natasha Matila-Smith 

Artspace is conveniently located on the main drag, this April it features the sensual work of Natasha Matila-Smith, who transforms the gallery into a meta-space, through the intentional employment of obvious conceptual metaphors connected to the bedroom

On until 1 May
292 Karangahape Road
artspace-aotearoa.nz

Melanie Roger Gallery

soft ware
Karen Rubado

Melanie Roger Gallery plays host to a delightful stable of Artists. This month Karen Rubado is on display. Rubado is interested in the aggregation and transformation of found materials through hand-making. Her enthusiasm lies in the connections between intention and action, the real and imagined, and the imperfection that often characterises the handmade. 

On until 17 April
444 Karangahape Road
melanierogergallery.com

Starkwhite

Birds of Paradise
Martin Basher 

Starkwhite presents as a large loft style gallery. This April they have New York based artist Martin Basher’s solo exhibition up for view. Basher revisits the classic genre of still life painting with an eye on unstable times.

Opening 13 April
510 Karangahape Road
starkwhite.co.nz

Tim Meville

Like Birds, Like Fishes
Areez Katki

Just off Newton Road before the overbridge is Tim Melville Gallery. This April the gallery features the work of multidisciplinary artist and writer Areez Katki, whose practice explores his genetic heritage and landscape through embroidery, tapestry, weaving, beading, painting, printmaking and sculpture.

7 April–1 May
4 Winchester St, Grey Lynn
timmelville.com

Two Rooms

Painting as Model
Jude Rae 

Gathering and Scattering
Lauren Winstone 

Two Rooms often has two exhibitions on at any one time, one taking over the main gallery space on the ground floor, the other is upstairs. This April Jude Rae is exhibiting a new suite of still life paintings and Lauren Winstone is presenting new ceramic work in the form of the lidded container. Inspired by the funeral object of an urn, Winstone’s works have a meditative and introspective quality.

On until 17 April
Level 1/15 Putiki Street, Arch Hill
tworooms.co.nz

Orexart

Echo
Martin Ball 

Sitting on Ponsonby Road, Orexart is showing Martin Ball’s hyperrealist paintings this season. The artist’s interpretation of the Pink and White Terraces employs subtle pictorial elements to create the illusion of a reality through the medium of oil paint made to look like a photograph. 

Opening 10 April
221 Ponsonby Road
orexart.co.nz