A major exhibition of works by pioneering New Zealand modernist painter Edith Collier has opened at Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū, marking the first time in 45 years that Christchurch audiences can see a wide range of her work. The show, titled 'Edith Collier: Early New Zealand Modernist,' features over 60 pieces including studies, sketches, watercolours, prints, and archival material, drawn from the permanent collection of Te Whare o Rehua Sarjeant Gallery in Whanganui. Collier, born in 1885, developed a bold post-impressionist style during a nine-year stay in London alongside artist Frances Hodgkins, but faced harsh criticism upon returning to conservative New Zealand, leading her father to destroy some of her paintings.
The exhibition matters because it corrects a long-standing oversight of Collier's contribution to New Zealand art history. Despite her pioneering approach—flattening perspective and breaking the picture plane into bold colour areas—Collier's work was undervalued during her lifetime and remained largely unseen in Christchurch since 1981. The show brings national attention to an artist whose full legacy has only recently been appreciated, highlighting the challenges faced by early modernist women artists in conservative communities. It runs until August 30, with a companion book available.