Nigel Borell

Pirirākau, Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Ranginui, Te Whakatōhea

Nigel Borell is a curator, writer, educator and artist specialising in Māori art in both customary and contemporary fields of research.

His recent curatorial projects include co-curating with Zara Stanhope Moa-Hunter Fashions by Areta Wilkinson, for 9th Asia Pacific Triennial, QAGOMA, Brisbane (2018) and The Māori Portraits: Gottfried Lindauer’s New Zealand, to de Young Fine Arts Museum, San Francisco (2017).

Some of his writing and editing works include: editor of Kura: Story of A Māori Woman Artist (2011); co-editor of the publication SOUTH (2010–2013); contributions to The 5th Auckland Triennial: If You Were To Live Here… publication (2013); and editor of Te Atinga - 25 Years of Contemporary Māori Art (2014).

Nigel’s current projects include the curatorium to Histōrias Indīgenas Indigenous Histories at Museu de Art de (MASP) in São Paulo, Brazil (2023). And the large survey exhibition Toi Tū Toi Ora: Contemporary Māori Art that was recently on display at Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki (Dec 2021 – May 2021), where he was the Curator Māori art from 2015-2020 with the upcoming publication currently in progress.

Mark Adams

Mark Adams is a photographer working with subjects of cross-cultural significance.

His photographs of Samoan tatau; Māori-Pākehā interactions around Rotorua; historic sites around the South Island; and his investigations into New Zealand's post-colonial history have been extensively exhibited in New Zealand, Europe, Australia, South Africa and Brazil's São Paulo biennale.

Mark attended Christchurch’s Ilam Art School from 1967 to 1970. His books include Land of Memories, Scarred by People Whenua i Maharatia, Haehae nga takata (1993); Cook’s Sites:

Revisiting History with Nicholas Thomas (1999); Rauru: Tene Waitere, Māori Carving,

Colonial History (2009); Tatau: Samoan Tattoo, New Zealand Art, Global Culture with Sean Mallon, Peter Brunt and Nicholas Thomas (2010).

Mark Adams lives in Oxford in Te Wai Pounamu and practices out of Studio La Gonda on Karangahape Road Auckland with Haruhiko Sameshima.

Dr Oliver Stead

Dr Oliver Stead, Curator Drawings, Paintings & Prints at Alexander Turnbull Library, since October 2015.

He is the author of a number of books on New Zealand art. Oliver has previously held senior and specialist roles in several collecting institutions in Australia and New Zealand including Dunedin Public Art Gallery, Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland War Memorial Museum, National Library of Australia and the James Wallace Arts Trust.

His doctoral research focussed on the New Zealand-born art dealer and collector Sir Rex Nan Kivell.