2023 KIWI ART TRAIL HIGHLIGHTS
In October 2023, 20 artists participated in the inaugural Kiwi Art Trail. Each artist was entrusted with a blank fibreglass kiwi sculpture - a blank canvas - and asked to express what our national taonga species means to them on it.
The result was a collection of beautiful, bespoke sculptures, each with their own story of kiwi conservation and the challenges kiwi have faced over the last several hundred years.
Following the end of the Kiwi Art Trail, all 20 sculptures were auctioned to raise funds for kiwi conservation, selling for a combined $90,000.
This year, we’re doing it again … but this time the Kiwi Art Trail will be even bigger and better! Four locations, 20+ artists and sculptures, six months of unique street art in some incredible communities, and more opportunities for people to get up close and personal with our national taonga species.
2023 artists & sculptures
Joe Pounamu / Otis Frizzell
Camouflage / Byron Romer
Floral Mash Up / Flox
The Great Sacrifice / SWEATS
Geometric Kiwi / Jessica Pearless
Ohinetonga / Jonathan Organ
Tāmaki Makaurau’s Tokoeka / Sarah Oostendorp
Kiwi Battler / Mike Weston
Manukura Spirit / Rachel Silver
Ghillie Bird / Amanda Billing
The Kiwi with the Golden Beak / Ema Frost
Kiwi Knievel / Weston Frizzell
Ode to Herbert / Daniel Ido
Flight to Stone / Logan Moffat
Radiance / Roberta Queiroga
Pop Drop Kiwi / Kat Quin
White Noise / Richard Penn
Banana Kiwi Gull / Sam Mathers
Celestial Halves / Chloe Stevenson
Poppy / Kell Sunshine
Winged Wonders / Gemma O'Neill & Hazel Rae
The story behind The Great Sacrifice by SWEATS
2023 Kiwi Art Trail on location
Behind the scenes of the 2023 Kiwi Art Trail
Kiwi Art Trail auction event
The Kiwi Art Trail auction took place at the PwC Tower at Commercial Bay, Auckland. With the help of MC Stephen McIvor, guests were introduced to a number of the artists. They heard from Gallagher Managing Director Carl O’Shea and Save the Kiwi Chairman Richard Leggat before the mic was handed to auctioneer Murray Smith. A fun, high-energy auction then took place. By the end of the evening all of our kiwi sculptures had found their new homes, sold for a combined $90,000, and funds had been raised to help kiwi conservation.
