Contemporary Art and Traditional Crafts from Vanuatu
Exhibition Overview
Central Stories Museum and Art Gallery is pleased to present a special exhibition curated by Katherine Buess, showcasing the rich culture and artistic traditions of Vanuatu. This exhibition offers New Zealand audiences a unique opportunity to engage with the vibrant customs and creative practices of Melanesia, featuring contemporary work by Vanuatu artists Tony Bruce, Juliette Pita and Kiki Kuautonga, alongside traditional crafts from different islands.
About the Exhibition
Drawing from her extensive experience working with artists and communities in Vanuatu, Buess brings together a compelling collection that celebrates both contemporary and traditional Pacific art forms. The exhibition provides insight into Vanuatu’s diverse island cultures and the ways in which artistic practice continues to evolve while honouring ancestral traditions. This exhibition also includes portraits of Ni-Vanuatu women, painted by Katherine Buess.
This exhibition is particularly significant for RSE (Recognised Seasonal Employer) workers in New Zealand, offering them a connection to home, while also inviting all New Zealanders to deepen their understanding of our Pacific neighbours.
About the Curator
Katherine Buess is an Invercargill-based artist with a Diploma in Fine Arts (honours) from Otago Polytechnic School of Art. Her practice spans printmaking, mixed media, and paper sculpture, with work exhibited throughout New Zealand and internationally in Japan, the USA, and Vanuatu.
Buess has a strong connection to the Pacific, having worked extensively in Vanuatu as a Volunteer Services Abroad rehabilitation art programme advisor for the Department of Correctional Services. She has led art programmes, coordinated murals and signwriting projects, and mentored artists in both Vanuatu and Timor-Leste. Her recent solo exhibition “Line Up: Portraits from Inside the Wire” (2024) at the Low Security Facility in Port Vila demonstrates her ongoing commitment to art as a tool for rehabilitation and cultural exchange.
Her awards include Supreme Winner at the Queenstown Arts Centre Art Awards (2015), Winner of the Trust Power Art Awards in Balclutha (2017), and Finalist in the Arts Gold Awards at Central Stories Museum, Alexandra (2017).
Exhibition Details
Venue: Heafey Gallery, Central Stories Museum and Art Gallery, Alexandra
Artist: Ni-Vanuatu artists
Ni-Vanuatu artists and Crafts people and Katherine Buess
For more information, contact Central Stories Museum and Art Gallery or email manager@centralstories.com
