Supporting the Next Wave of Artists at the Aotearoa Art Fair 2026 Ambitec

The Aotearoa Art Fair has always been a place where ideas, materials, and creative voices converge, and this year, we’re proud to be a supporting partner, helping to realise the vision of the next wave of gallerists and artists, both new and established, exhibiting at the Fair for the first time.

Both galleries highlight the breadth of contemporary practice in Aotearoa, from intergenerational painting to uku (clay) works grounded in whakapapa and place.

Not only presenting raw and real works, they are also challenging the status quo of how art is traditionally shown, bringing new meaning and power to the connection between space and art.

Our contribution sits quietly within this shift: crafting soft textured finishes for the wall panels and custom plinths that ground each presentation in materiality. These elements help the work feel immediate, lived‑in, and deeply connected to the kinds of spaces where art is actually experienced.

William Austin Gallery

First up, William Austin Gallery from Wellington, who will be presenting historical and new paintings by Hariata Ropata‑Tangahoe, alongside works by Julian Hooper, Anna Sisson, and Rangi White.

A thoughtful, intergenerational presentation that brings together distinct voices in contemporary art, each exploring form, symbolism, and storytelling in their own way.

To further support and add another dimension to how the works are experienced, we are creating soft textured wall panels, a subtle backdrop while adding depth and material presence to the booth.

Hariata Ropata Tangahoe

Julian Hooper

Anna Sisson

Rangi White

Kurutai Collective

We’re equally proud to be supporting Kurutai Collective, curated by Chantel Matthews, who will be showcasing new works by Dorothy Waetford and Graham Tipene, alongside an incredible group of emerging and established Māori uku artists.

To realise Chantel’s vision of a ‘space of convergence where the synergies of iwi, artists and ideas meet, mix and inter-flow with Māori creativity and culture’, we are creating custom rendered plinths, designed to complement the clay works and evoke the flow of ‘kurutai’ brackish water ( where waitī, fresh water and waitā, (salt water mix), through form and materiality.

Graham Tipene & Dorothy Waetford at Auckland Studio Potters

Amanda Kemp

Fleur Palmer

Commitment to collaboration

We’re honoured to play a small part in supporting these artists and their stories. This project reflects what drives us at Ambitec: thoughtful collaboration, material sensitivity, and a commitment to the creative communities that shape Aotearoa’s cultural landscape.

Come see these incredible galleries, artists and more inspiring work at Aotearoa Art Fair in Auckland from April 30th - 3rd May.