The country’s largest outdoor art event, NZ Sculpture
OnShore, opens on 8 November at the spectacular clifftop
park of Operetu Fort Takapuna in Devonport, Auckland,
unveiling more than 120 joyful, inspiring and
thought-provoking artworks – and marking the launch of the
inaugural Women’s Refuge NZ Sculpture of Strength
Award.
The biennial exhibition, now in its 29th year,
will run from 8–23 November, transforming the historic
military site into a vibrant celebration of creativity –
for an important cause. Monumental multi-metre-high
sculptures, playful and colourful works, sound and light
installations, and site-specific pieces will be showcased
against sweeping views of the Hauraki Gulf.
Proceeds
from the exhibition go to Women’s Refuge NZ, supporting
women and children fleeing domestic violence. As the
charity’s biggest fundraising event, this year’s funds
will support women and children in cases of extreme hardship
via the Sievwright Fund, and for counselling services,
ensuring care for women and children as they seek to move
forward in their lives.
NZ Sculpture OnShore
general manager Dee Paranihi says this year’s
exhibition bursts with colour, creativity, and imagination.
“It’s an absolute feast for the senses –a celebration
of what happens when art, landscape, and a commitment to
making a difference come together.
“Head along with
family or friends to experience art that will inspire, make
you smile, and spark conversations.”
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Curated by
Sally Lush, this year’s exhibition features artworks by
returning favourites and first-time artists from across
Aotearoa.
“Art has a unique way of holding space for
big ideas – it can help us think about things in different
and motivating ways,” says Lush. “This year’s
exhibition is immense; it’s a celebration of artistic
skill on a scale rarely seen in New
Zealand.”
Women’s Refuge NZ Sculpture of Strength
(SOS) Award
A highlight of the 2025 exhibition is the
introduction of the Women’s Refuge NZ Sculpture of
Strength Award – a new recognition honouring artists whose
work amplifies the values of safe homes, strong communities,
and collective healing.
Unlike traditional art prizes,
this award is not based on competition, but on honouring an
artist whose work embodies the kaupapa of Women’s Refuge
NZ.
This year’s inaugural recipient is
Taranaki artist Daniel McKerrow, recognised
for his breathtaking three-metre-high sculpture
Whakaruruhau, depicting a wahine
cloaked in flowing copper kākahu.
Whakaruruhau
– meaning shelter or protector – honours the enduring spirit
of wāhine Māori and generations of women who have stood as
protectors within their whānau and hapori.
“This
installation visually represents the strength we find in
unity,” says McKerrow. “As these pillars stand together,
we as a community must also stand together to support those
in need.”
Visitors are encouraged to take selfies
alongside Whakaruruhau and share them on social media
– helping raise awareness and spark conversations about
family violence and the importance of community
action.
Women’s Refuge NZ CEO Dr Ang Jury says the
award is more than symbolic. “The SOS Award is a
partnership between art and the vision of an Aotearoa free
of family violence. By recognising artists who give voice to
strength and safety, we’re reminding the people of
Aotearoa that creativity can drive change – and that
everyone can help protect and empower women and children
fleeing violence.”
Interactive
Artwork
Visitors are invited to ‘take a step
forward’ by climbing the staircase created by Whangārei
artist Peter Brammer, part of his
Thoughts of Freedom sculpture. The
staircase, surrounded by a series of symbolic corten steel
wings – some up to five-metres-high – surround
participants as they climb the stairs.
“This
sculpture asks each participant to be conscious of each step
that they take,” says Brammer. “The ‘wings’ are a
symbol for flight and the idea of being free. As in life,
when making changes, the first step is always the
hardest…”
“Moving under the wings, you become
nurtured by them; this space becomes an experience for the
individual to be uplifted and see things from a different
perspective.”
New Features in 2025
This
year’s exhibition introduces two exciting new elements:
The Take a Seat Trail – a whimsical
journey of artistic seating along the coastal paths and
gardens, inviting visitors to pause, reflect, and engage;
and The Garden Art Series and Gallery –
an expanded offering featuring a curated collection of
smaller-scale sculptures nestled outdoors, available to take
home on the day purchased.
School Students’
exhibition
Artwork by students from a record number
of 20 schools across school across Auckland
will fill the underground Fort and tunnels. It
includes Ngā Mata Pūrakau: The Faces of Legends, a
collaborative mask-making project involving Takapuna Grammar
Year 9 students mentoring younger tamariki from primary
schools across the Devonport peninsula.
The
underground Fort – one of the few times it is open to the
public – will feature the masks lit under UV light,
bringing the students’ stories vividly to
life.
There are five schools exhibiting for the first
time this year: Bayfield Primary (Herne Bay); Marlborough
Primary (Glenfield); Auckland Normal Intermediate (Mt Eden);
Bruce McLaren Intermediate (Henderson); and Te Atatū
Intermediate.
“We can’t wait to welcome visitors
to this year’s exhibition,” says Paranihi. “It’s
going to be incredible – there’s so much goodwill and
the skill of the artists will blow you away.”
NZ
Sculpture OnShore is grateful for the support of principal
sponsor Fisher Funds and gold sponsors Hesketh Henry and
Harcourts Cooper & Co.
- Tickets to the
Gala Evening and the exhibition are available from
www.nzsculptureonshore.co.nz - NZ
Sculpture OnShore Gala Evening:
Friday 7 November 5.00pm –
9.00pm - Exhibition: Saturday 8
November to Sunday 23 November 10.00am – 5.00pm (closed
Mondays)
View the 2025 NZ Sculpture
OnShore catalogue at:
https://www.dropbox.com/t/H7nx7l47A7Ghxrf4
A
selection of 2025 artworks images can be viewed at:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ejqfoosv19q0tksmmxbru/A-selection-of-NZSoS-2025-artworks-images-pre-installation.zip?rlkey=zunk2wmbaxbco94r69r74jnrx&dl=0
Notes
New
Zealand’s family violence
statistics
- New Zealand has the highest
rates of family violence in the OECD. - On average,
just under 50,000 women and children are referred to
Women’s Refuge each year. - Women’s Refuge NZ
provided just under 400,000 nights of safe, secure
accommodation across New Zealand in the last calendar
year. - On average Women’s Refuge answers 71 crisis
calls per day. - 1 in 3 women will experience abuse in
their lifetime in Aotearoa. - Nearly half of all
homicides and reported violent crimes are related to family
violence. - Around 67% of family violence episodes go
unreported.
NZ Sculpture
OnShore was first held in 1996 in a private garden
in Takapuna. The biennial event grew so much in popularity
that in 2004 it was moved to the spectacular Operetu Fort
Takapuna Historic Reserve on Auckland’s North
Shore.
The exhibition, which features work from
established and emerging artists, provides a unique snapshot
of contemporary three-dimensional art practice in New
Zealand.
Works exhibited at NZ Sculpture OnShore are
for sale and the net proceeds from each exhibition are
donated to Women’s Refuge NZ. To date more than $2.6 million
has been donated to help Women’s Refuge support the victims
of domestic violence in New Zealand.
NZ Sculpture
OnShore is wholly owned by Friends of Women’s Refuges
Trust.
www.nzsculptureonshore.co.nz
