AUCKLAND.- A major retrospective exhibition of New Zealand photographer Mark Adams (born 1949, Ōtautahi Christchurch) will be presented at Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki this month.

Opening 29 March 2025, Mark Adams: A Survey | He Kohinga Whakaahua offers the first comprehensive survey of Adams’ work, showcasing more than 65 works spanning his 50-year career.

The exhibition will be accompanied by a beautifully crafted book, Mark Adams: A Survey | He Kohinga Whakaahua, co-published with Massey University Press. This comprehensive publication is the first ever detailed consideration of Adam’s entire body of work.

Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, Director of Auckland Art Gallery Kirsten Lacy, says the exhibition and its accompanying book have been years in the making.

“The exhibition celebrates a lifetime spent exploring Aotearoa’s land, peoples, and histories. Adams has a distinctive approach to image-making and we are honoured to present this survey at Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki. It also represents a significant opportunity for the Gallery to further its commitment to showcasing New Zealand artists and art histories.”

Over the decades Adams has sustained a deep and ongoing engagement with whakairo Māori (Māori carving), the work of celebrated tufuga tatatau (master tattoo artists) in Samoan communities within Tāmaki Makaurau, the places where Captain James Cook and his crew came ashore, and the locations where Te Tiriti o Waitangi was signed. His practice explores cross-cultural exchanges in Aotearoa and across the globe – within landscapes, taonga (treasures), museums, and the practice of photography itself.

Commenting on the occasion of the major book and exhibition, Mark Adams says: “Books are useful as repositories of accessible work but only an exhibition can show the conceptual intent, full scale and unique qualities of the large format photographic medium I have used for 50 years.”

The exhibition has been curated by Dr Sarah Farrar, Head of Curatorial and Learning at Auckland Art Gallery. Farrar is also the author of the new book on Adams’ work.

“Mark Adams’ work feels very timely to consider right now as Aotearoa debates the Treaty Principles Bill and New Zealand histories are being incorporated into school curriculum. Although Adams has an extensive exhibition history, few have included photographs from across multiple bodies of work. This exhibition provides an unprecedented opportunity to view key works together in one space, while the book offers a deeper exploration into his remarkable photographic practice.”



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