Dreaming by Peter Dornauf
Ground Work by Clare Mataira
DREAMING RURAL
Peter Dornauf
and Clare Mataira
3 November- 29 November 2026 | Whakaaturanga Gallery
Opening Celebration Sunday 8 January 11.30 - 1pm
All Welcome
A joint exhibition that celebrates rural Waikato, presented via two different mediums - acrylic on board by Dornauf and fibre based by Mataira.
Artist Statement - PETER DORNAUF
This new series of works represents an evocation, celebration and eulogy of rural farm life located back in the age of innocence here in New Zealand. It is a homage to the beauty of ordinary things from that world: implement shed, strainer post, toy tractor, truck, macrocarpa tree, peddle car and other iconic items. They provide a salute to the past, a shout of appreciation and declaration of love for a world that felt like the Garden of Eden on later reflection. The paintings attempt to capture and embody the presence of an arcadia here in the heart the Waikato.
The texts included in the paintings are, for the most part, quotations taken from a collection of poems called, Side Road, published in 2024.
Artist Statement - CLARE MATAIRA
Textiles are part of every area of our lives, often quietly carrying the dust, labour, and intimacy of the everyday. These works draw attention to found domestic materials and the traditions of women’s art, elevating what is commonly overlooked into something worthy of care and contemplation.
Coming from a “making do” tradition, I have always reused and repurposed materials—not only out of necessity, but from an inherited understanding that resources should not be wasted. This practice connects thrift, memory, and care, allowing discarded or humble materials to take on renewed meaning.
Together, the works redefine the ties that bind us to nature, home, and recollection, while expressing the need to hold, protect, and honour the commonplace.
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Weekends (Saturday & Sunday): 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
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Wabi Sabi
Anne Jolly
Closes - 3pm 15 February 2026 | Community Gallery
Finding beauty in imperfection -
Anne Jolly: A Life in Fibre, Texture and Colour
At ninety-one, Anne Jolly is proving that creativity has no expiry date. Currently exhibiting her Fibre Art Show Wabi Sabi at the Morrinsville Community Gallery, Anne’s work celebrates texture, colour, hand embroidery and the beauty of imperfection. This is her fourth time exhibiting at the gallery, and each return marks another chapter in a long, curious and ever-evolving creative journey.
Anne’s love of making began early. The only girl with two brothers, she spent formative years travelling by train to Timaru to stay with her grandmother, who taught her knitting, crocheting and tatting. During the war, Anne belonged to the Girls’ Brigade, knitting royal blue pullovers, socks and cardigans for airmen — dedication that earned her a badge for her uniform. These early experiences laid the foundation for a lifelong engagement with fibre and handcraft.
Wabi Sabi offers visitors a chance to experience the richness of Anne Jolly’s creative life — a body of work shaped by curiosity, resilience, humour and a profound love of fibre. And goodness knows where this exciting exhibition will take her next.