Warwick Freeman, Dead Set II (detail), 2006 (collection of The Suter) shown in He momo, nā te whānau – it’s a family trait: The 2nd Aotearoa Jewellery Triennial. At The Suter, Whakatū Nelson, Aotearoa New Zealand, Mar 8 – Jun 15, 2025.

Jude van der Merwe reviews the premier jewellery event in Aotearoa and finds works with deep historical resonance.

Kia ora – pinch me, I’m dreaming. These were among my first and recurring thoughts after arriving in Whakatū, Nelson.  The place is an entire picture postcard – unbelievably pretty views, gorgeous hills surrounding an ambitiously large curved bay, fabulous cafes, wine bars, restaurants and utterly brilliant weather. Better still – an entirely walkable city.

And just when you thought it couldn’t get better, it went ahead and did just that. Nelson Jewellery Week (NJW) developed and presented by Arts Council Nelson in partnership with local jewellers, galleries and community is a gem of the first order.

I was a complete stranger to Aotearoa New Zealand and was unsure what to expect. What I hadn’t counted on and was overwhelmed by was the deep and sincere mihi whakatau welcome afforded to us visitors by Pupuri Taonga o Te Tai Ao – Nelson Provincial Museum, led by the mighty Hamuera Manihera. I had met Hamuera previously in Kokand, Uzbekistan, at an amazing craft festival where he shared his weaving knowledge and techniques with artists and artisans from all over Central Asia. I knew him as a generous soul. What was revealed in the mihi whakatau and the following experiences was the combination of gentleness and strength that also infused the jewellery and was shared by the makers.

Hamuera showed us through parts of the historic collection of carved and made objects, and this introduction enabled us to catch a glimpse of Māori heritage that is fundamental to NJW. In a call and response to some of the works in the collection, Keri-Mei Zagrobelna presented a window to the museum with her interpretations of that line of story, infusing new works with engaging representations of older material forms.

That line of thinking and making was reinforced by the KOHĀ activation led by Neke Moa with her partner Paula, Sofia Tekela-Smith, and Stevei Houkāmau. The group shared their experiences of a deeply emotional journey to Munich for Jewellery Week and seeing and holding objects made by ancestors and now held, semi-forgotten by the Munich Museum. Their journey was supported by Objectspace and Creative NZ, with both organisations fulfilling their remit of enabling these kinds of shared journeys that feed into and support keeping stories and places.

Stevei Houkāmau, flicky flicky, materials uku (clay) and muka (harakeke fibre), part of KOHĀ activation at Pupuri Taonga o Te Tai Ao -Nelson Provincial Museum, NJW 2025. Image by Mahi ā Ringa – Craft New Zealand Aotearoa (MĀR).

Nelson Jewellery Week occupied 28 venues, including galleries, shops, and windows, as many formal and informal spaces as could be found. The magnificent Suter Gallery, led by Director Toni MacKinnon, presented three exceptional exhibitions, including a Wallace Sutherland retrospective, a collaborative show from Kelly MacDonald and David Long, and the 2nd Aotearoa Jewellery Triennial curated by Sian van Dyk.

Alchemy: Wallace Sutherland Retrospective. The Clematis bracelet 1978, silver, 58mm x21mm, on show at The Suter, Apr 10 – June 8, 2025 Image by Alex Sutherland.

Warrick Freeman’s (another with a current show on in Munich) showstopper work, Dead Set 11, at Suter is one that deserves a special mention. A Nelson native, Freeman has led the way in enabling us to see what is in front of us in all its glorious wonder, horror, banality and beauty. He takes us on a journey that leads directly to some of the most ambiguous works both in the Triennial exhibition and NJW.  I think the clearest takeaway I had from the Triennial was that the works had only a passing relation to the body, and a much greater relationship to history, story and object.

The three exhibitions at the Refinery Artspace confirmed that perception with the warrior-like objects created by Toi Moana artists Neke Moa, Kristin O’Sullivan Peren and Whaea Paula continuing the challenge. They demand to be seen rather than looked at. Jewellery has always challenged us. Certainly, the Egyptians were no strangers to massive, intricate, often threatening objects of adornment. The Victorians were comfortable creating beetles, snakes and bugs that could be worn on the breasts of ladies. I think the differences here lie more in the techniques and materials rather than solely through intention. If your pink Barbie car can be unpicked by Eva Kerer and made into brooches, and your old bit of fishing rope deconstructed and re-made into a massive bell-pull of an object by Beau Cotton, then the world of jewellery becomes an endlessly fascinating oyster of surprise.

The space here is too short to do more than mention Kay van Dyk’s wonderful black clay works at Project 100, or the great installation of Damaged in Transit at the Refinery.

Works that remain with me include Jane Dodd’s Mātukituki series of exquisitely carved characters, Joe Sheehan’s superb carved stone replicas of cast-off objects at Suter and that magical chain at The Atelier Studio.

Jane Dodd, Mātukituki, 2025. Bone, matai and box woods, sterling silver, marcasite, dye, 9ct gold. Courtesy of the artist. Image: Craig Hilton. He momo, nā te whānau—it’s a family trait: The 2nd Aotearoa Jewellery Triennial. At The Suter. Mar 8 – Jun 15, 2025.

NJW encourages us to see that jewellery can truly no longer be seen as adornment. It is political, social, economic and historic. It is how we see ourselves and the faces we present to the world. Those faces can be scary, too, and are loaded with meaning. Some of the works worn daily by jewellers presented themselves as weapons and challenges.  They marked the spaces that these makers are taking for themselves.  These makers and their works are not waiting for an invitation – they are not waiting peaceably to be admired – they demand our attention.

In addition to the 28 exhibitions, a terrific program of workshops and talks were presented by Arts Council Nelson. Craft New Zealand Aotearoa held the Mahi ā Ringa – Makers Lounge  hosted at Cultural Conversations; a great venue to meet and spend time with community.  The invitation expressed by NJW is – come and see – come and fear – come and be delighted, charmed and challenged. It is brave, considered and an experience not to be missed.

Neke Moa, Maripi, materials driftwood and pounamu. Exhibition at the Refinery Artspace, NJW 2025, Nelson, Whakatū, New Zealand. Image by Mahi ā Ringa.

So, what would I change? What was missing? What wasn’t good?  There are many ways to go down that path – but none that I particularly care to explore. A small city, with a small team, produces a series of experiences that are exceptional, a wild diversity of objects of wonder and adornment, and hospitality and warmth that will live for a long time in my heart. Mark your calendar for 2027.

Huge thanks to Layla Walter, Vice President of the World Crafts Council Asia Pacific Region – South Pacific, for all her advocacy and organising work and to Rachel Sanson and her husband Scott for their warm hospitality and great insights into Nelson. For those of you who missed it in 2025, mark your diaries for 2027.

Jude van der Merwer is a director and founder of the Indian Ocean Craft Triennial and president of the World Crafts Council—Australia and the World Crafts Council, Asia Pacific Region. 

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jewellery | New Zealand