An exhibition of paintings by the 36 finalists for this year's Adam Portraiture Award, one of the country's premier art prizes, opens at the Percy Thomson Gallery this Friday, September 16, at 7pm.
The award is held every two years and the exhibition is traditionally one of the most popular on the arts calendar.
The Adam Portraiture Award promotes the best of contemporary portrait painting from artists throughout New Zealand. It is an initiative of the New Zealand Portrait Gallery Te Pukena Whakaata, Wellington.
The 2016 winning portrait was painted by Andre Brönnimann of Whanganui. Andre will be a guest at our opening event on Friday night.
Bronnimann's portrait of the three 'spiritual sisters' from Taranaki, Te Rawanake Robinson-Coles, Inahaa Te Urutahi Waikerepuru and Ria Wihapi-Waikerepuru, took 412 hours to complete and will now become a part of the New Zealand Portrait Gallery's permanent collection.