Exhibitions & Updates

EXHIBITIONS & UPDATES

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Threads of Modernism | Talk and Demonstration
Sun 23 Feb 2025 1-2.30pm

Celebrate the closing weekend of Modern Women: Flight of Time with an exploration of pioneering textile artist Ilse von Randow, led by weaving and textile artist Kathryn Tsui and Julia Waite, curator of Modern Women.

This talk and demonstration will highlight Randow’s significant contributions to Aotearoa New Zealand’s weaving history, focusing on two of her key works: Woven Kauri, 1954 – a collaboration with Colin McCahon, now lost – and her curtains for the Auckland City Art Gallery, 1958 (pictured below), currently on display in Modern Women: Flight of Time. 

Tsui will share insights from her research into the archive of von Randow’s weaving samples and notebooks, held at Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland War Memorial and the von Randow house, designed by Group Architects member Bill Wilson, where it is thought the curtains were woven. The talk will also explore contemporary responses to von Randow’s work by artists Ruth Buchanan and Dr Bronwyn Lloyd.

Following the talk, Tsui will demonstrate von Randow’s weaving techniques to make Woven Kauri and the Auckland City Art Gallery Curtains.

Acquired by Te Papa Tongarewa - The Museum of New Zealand
Exciting news ‘Willow with Batwing Cloud’ (2024) and the ‘Ngan House c.1970’ (2024) have been acquired into the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa Collection. 

“Tsui drew on museum collections during her research for ‘cloud ribbon’, and both of these works resonate strongly with other taonga in Te Papa’s collection. Her work explores the experiences and material cultures of Chinese peoples, particularly Chinese New Zealanders, in global context.” ~ Dr Grace Gassin

Solo Exhibition
Masterworks Gallery, Auckland, Aotearoa, New Zealand
8 February - 2 March 2025

CREATIVE NEW ZEALAND ARTS GRANT 2023-2024
I have received a CNZ Arts Grant to make a new body of textiles and beaded artworks to be exhibited at Objectspace in June 2024.

UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS
My solo exhibition cloud ribbon at Objectspace will run from 15 June to 18 August 2024

I also have work in to group exhibitions ABSTRAXT ABSTRAXT, NORTHART, Auckland, 7 May to 6 June 2024 and 
New Illuminations: 10 years of Asian Aotearoa Arts Exhibition, The Engine Room, Massey University, Wellington, 18 April to 10 May 2024

EVENTS:
Guest Lecture at the Textiles Department, School of Design Toi Rauwhārangi College of Creative Arts, Massey University Pōneke-Wellington.
Panelist - AAA 10-year Anniversary Founders Kōrero, Asian Aotearoa Arts 2023 programme, School of Design Toi Rauwhārangi College of Creative Arts, Massey University Pōneke-Wellington.
Collection visit, Museum of New Zealand, Te Papa Tongarewa

'The weaving of Kathryn Tsui, Aotearoa (New Zealand)’ an essay by Australian writer Greta Costello will feature in ‘Educating in the Crafts – The Global Experience. Book 2, Tradition and Invention: The Handmade’ to be published internationally by Springer.

Kai & Kōrero with Kathryn Tsui
Lunchtime Presentation
Tuesday 3 October, 12-1pm
Massey University Wellington, Pukeahu Campus

Ngā Pae Mahutonga, Wellington School of Design at CoCA Massey are proud to host an audience with Coromandel-based textile practitioner and AAA Founder, Kathryn Tsui. FREE and all welcome. Space capacity is limited to 40 people so please register here

redwhiteblue twill drawstring (2023) has recently been acquired by Tūhura Otago Museum for their collection.

Art Residency Driving Creek Pottery August 2023 
This month I have been on Residency at Driving Creek Pottery with my looms.
I spent my time weaving patterns I had not woven previously, learning ceramic techniques to produce my own beads for beadworking and visiting Wailin Elliot.
The residency is part of the research phase to develop a new series of textile and beaded work that will be exhibited at a public gallery next year.

CLOTH 2023, Masterworks Gallery, Auckland, 22 July – 12 August 2023


basket weave (2023)
Bead woven necklace inspired by a basket weave draft in Anni Alber’s seminal publication ‘On Weaving’

Exhibition review by Philip Clarke, Context 44, Winter 2023, Costume and Textile Association of New Zealand (CTANZ)


Artist Interview, HERE No.17, Late Summer 2023 Issue




View the redwhiteblue exhibition e-catalogue and essay here. The exhibition essay 'Kathryn Tsui redwhiteblue - towards a democratisation of making', is written by Dr Bronwyn Lloyd. Installation and exhibitions images by Sait Akkirman on Artsdiary here (Note: scroll past Luke Jacomb's show)

My solo exhibition redwhiteblue at Masterworks Gallery February to March 2023 in Tāmaki Makaurau - Auckland, Aotearoa - New Zealand.

This new work is part of the text tile exhibition at Caves, Melbourne Australia, 24 June -16 July 2022. The exhibition text tile showcases textile based practices of over 50 artists within Australia and New Zealand, to represent the full spectrum of woven and non-woven techniques.

The Search Party Project by Bronwyn Lloyd at McCahon House from 20 April - 3 July 2022. Excited to be part of the exhibition and public programmes after having woven the background for Bronwyn’s needle point homage charms.
EXHIBITION TALK
Saturday, 30 April  2022
McCahon House
In conversation with Bronwyn Lloyd, Sebastian Clarke, Kathryn Tsui & Julia Waite
〰️
WEAVING WORKSHOP
Sunday, 1 May 2022
McCahon House
with Kathryn Tsui 

Blue Ahmah Bag Plaid cross stitch by Kathryn and Doris Tsui is now part of the Dowse Art Museum Collection.


In March 2022 I spoke to Lynn Freeman on 'Standing Room Only' the arts programme for Radio New Zealand about my weaving practice and the cross stitch project with my mum Doris Tsui. Click here for the interview.

Soft Landing, Page Galleries, Wellington - Aotearoa New Zealand, 24 February – 19 March 2022. (In the Threads Textile Festival presented as part of the 2022 Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts). Exhibition text by Emma Ng.


Summer Salon, Masterworks Gallery, Auckland - Aotearoa New Zealand, 27 November 2021 – 5 February 2022

WEAVING WORKSHOP IN TAIRUA
SATURDAY 19 June 2021 {Sold out}

A collaborative weaving project for Connect the Dots as part of their touring exhibition 'Flirting with form: Works by TOI AKO artists', showing at Hastings Art Gallery, 13 March - 23 May 2021. 

In September I had the opportunity to run two weaving workshops at The Dowse Art Museum in Wellington. With 30 participants they learnt a clasp weft weaving technique to weave a unique wall hanging. Woven solely with accessible everyday materials.

Artist Profile in homestyle magazine, New Zealand, June to July 2020 issue. For the full interview with editor Alice Lines click here.

A new handwoven series is featured in Ā Mua: New Lineages of Making, that showcased work by more than 20 makers to explore the nature of craft in Aotearoa and looks to the future as we navigate the 21st century at The Dowse Art Museum, 6 June to 11 October 2020.
(Image courtesy of Dowse Art Museum. Photographer Shaun Matthews)

A woven wall hanging for Ophelia Mikkelson-Jones' exhibition at Parlour Projects, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand (November to December 2019). For 'A Place To Picnic' we were inspired by a Agnes Martin grid work, tartans and plaids found on picnic blankets and Ophelia’s colour palette.
(Image courtesy of Parlour Projects, photographer Hazel Redmond)

This cross stitch project was part of a textile exhibition at Corban Estate Arts Centre, Auckland, New Zealand (August to September 2019). Working with my Mum, the project represents over 200 hours of stitching and over 22,000 individual cross stitches. The project translated the plaid pattern found on the low cost and mass produced Hong Kong Shopper or Ahmah bags into cross stitch.

The handwoven Hourglass series, was installed on Samuel Tupou’s wall painting at Cement Fondu contemporary art space in Sydney, Australia (June to July 2019). 

ARTIST CV

EDUCATION
Bachelor of Art and Design (Visual Arts / Sculpture) AUT University, Auckland, 2007
AUT Academic Scholarship 2006 & 2007

PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
Tūhura Otago Museum
Dowse Art Museum
University of Waikato 

AWARDS
Creative New Zealand Arts Grant  Recipient 2023-2024

SOLO EXHIBITION
cloud ribbon, (upcoming) Objectspace, Auckland, 15 June – 15 August 2024
redwhiteblue, Masterworks Gallery, Auckland, 18 February – 18 March 2023

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
ABSTRAXT ABSTRAXT, NORTHART, Auckland, 7 May – 6 June 2024
New Illuminations: 10 years of Asian Aotearoa Arts Exhibition , The Engine Room, Massey University, Wellington, 18 April – 10 May 2024
CLOTH 2023, Masterworks Gallery, Auckland, 22 July – 12 August 2023
Text Tile, Caves Gallery, Melbourne - Australia, 24 June 16 July – 2022 
The Search Party Project, Bronwyn Lloyd, collaborating weaver, McCahon House from 20 April - 3 July 2022
Soft Landing, Page Galleries, Wellington, 24 February – 19 March 2022
Summer Salon, Masterworks Gallery, Auckland, November to December 2021
Flirting with form: Works by TOI AKO artists, Hastings Art Gallery, Hastings, 13 March - 23 May 2021
Ā Mua: New Lineages of Making, The Dowse Art Museum, Wellington, 4 April to 26 July 2020
Labour of Body, Corban Estate Arts Centre, Auckland, 26 July to 15 September 2019
Art Store, Cement Fondu, Sydney - Australia, 25 May to 21 July 2019
Subsets: Sets and Pairs from the University of Waikato Art Collection, Calder & Lawson Gallery, University of Waikato, 2016

WEAVING COMMISSIONS
Professor Dame Anne Salmond 2021
Ladi6 musician 2019
Linda Lopez Amercian contemporary ceramic artist 2019

RESIDENCIES
Driving Creek, August 2023
Blumhardt Foundation, Instagram August 2020

PRESS & PUBLICATIONS
‘The weaving of Kathryn Tsui, Aotearoa (New Zealand)’ by Greta Costello, ‘Educating in the Crafts – The Global Experience. Book 2, Tradition and Invention: The Handmade.’ edited by Lindy Joubert, published by Springer, upcoming 2023
Exhibition Review, by Philip Clarke, Blumhardt Foundation Chair, Context 44, Winter 2023, Costume and Textile Association of New Zealand
Artist Interview, HERE No.17, Late Summer 2023
'Kathryn Tsui redwhiteblue - towards a democratisation of making', Essay by Dr Bronwyn Lloyd, Masterworks Gallery, February 2023
Radio Interview with Lynn Freeman, Standing Room Only, Radio New Zealand, March 2022
Artist Profile, homestyle magazine, June - July 2020

PUBLIC PROGRAMMES & ART WORKSHOPS
Panel Discussion with Bronwyn Lloyd, Sebastian Clarke, Kathryn Tsui & Julie Waite, McCahon House Museum, Auckland, April 2022
Weaving Workshop with Kathryn Tsui, McCahon House Museum, Auckland May 2022
Weave a Wall Hanging, Tairua, June 2021
Kathryn Tsui: Loom weaving workshops  The Dowse Art Museum, September 2020 
Design & Weave a Three-way Plaid, June 2020
Weave a Twill Pattern, July 2020
Pre-school Weaving Activity, Home Learning TV Channel, May 2020
Kathryn Tsui: Make your own loom, The Dowse Art Museum,  April &  May 2020 
Art Tutor, Tairua School, July - December 2019
Cross stitch & design workshop, Connect the Dots August 2019

ARTS CAREER SUMMARY
Artist & Independent Arts Worker              2019 to current    
Administrator & Coordinator                        March 2017 to June 2019
Mercury Bay Art Escape Trust
Coromandel
Exhibition Manager & Curator                      September 2012 to October 2016
Corban Estate Arts Centre, Auckland
Gallery Coordinator                                         April 2008 to September 2012
Studio One Toi Tū - Auckland Council            
Auckland     
Gallery Assistant                                              March 2005 to February 2008
McPherson Gallery, Auckland

INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE
Artist mentor, Creative Coromandel (2021– 2022)
Travelling Exhibition Coordinator at Connect the Dots (Dec 2019– March 2020)
Co-Curator of the Whitianga Street Art Festival for Tuia 250 (2019)
Working party member for TEMP Arts and Science festival (2015 – 2016)
Curatorial mentor for the Auckland University Art History programme (2015)
Founding member of the Asian Artists Hui (2013)