education | career
Masters of Fine Arts (Hons), University of Auckland 2004
Bachelor of Laws, University of Auckland 1987
Artist & Founder Gatfield Studio 1998-
Founder Equity Works Ltd. 1993-1998
Barrister & Solicitor (Human Rights/Law Reform) 1987-1998
residencies | awards | grants
NARS Foundation New York City, Artist in Residence Season III 2025
Saas-Fee Summer Institute of Art NYC Scholarship 2024
Foreign Objekt, Intelligence/Computation Lab Research Residency 2024–25
Poison Creek Sculpture Project NZ, Artist Residency & Commission 2023–24
Creative New Zealand Toi Aotearoa Global Digital New Work Grant 2023
Wellington Sculpture Trust 4oth Anniversary Public Art Commission 2023
Ionion Center for Arts & Culture Greece, Artist Residency & Exhibition Grant 2023
European Cultural Centre 2022 Venice Art Biennale Invited Artist
Creative Revolutionary CODAworx 2020
Creative New Zealand Toi Aotearoa Digital Arts Grant 2020
NSW Government Westconnex Sculpture Park Sydney Commission 2020-24
NZ Women of Influence Awards: Arts & Culture 2019
CODAawards 2019 Public Art Award, Merit Honors Glass Ceiling
CODAawards 2019 Top 100 Jury Selection Glass Ceiling
Creative New Zealand Arts Grant Glass Ceiling 2019
Vermont Studio Centre Sculpture Fellowship & Residency 2019
Venice Architecture Biennale 2018, Global Art Affairs Foundation Invited Artist
American Institute of Architecture A'18 NYC 2018 Invited Artist
CODAawards 2017 Public Art Landscape Award ‘The Kiss’
CODAawards 2017 Top 100 'The Kiss' Jury Selection
SCAPE Public Art 2016|2017 Season, Christchurch NZ, Invited Artist
NZ Small Sculpture Prize Finalist 2016
KØN/Kvindemuseet Gender Museum Denmark, Artist in Residence & Exhibition 2015
Sculpture by the Sea 2015, Aarhus Denmark Jury Selection
18th International Open Art Award 2015, WomanMade Gallery Chicago, Juror
Chicago Sculpture International 2014, Jury Selection
Shapeshifter 2014, NZ International Arts Festival Wellington, Invited Artist
NZ Small Sculpture Prize Finalist 2014
Sculpture by the Sea Bondi 2013 Sydney Australia, Invited Artist
16th International Open 2013 Finalist, WomanMade Gallery Chicago
Parallax Art Fair 2013 New York, Invited Artist
NZ Small Sculpture Prize 2012 Finalist
Public Art Sculpture Award 2010 Winner Smales Farm Commission
Wallace Art Awards 2011 / Dowse Museum Finalist Exhibition 2011
NZ Small Sculpture Prize Finalist 2011
Morpeth Canaday Art Award Finalist 2011
Walker & Hall National 2D Art Award Finalist 2010
Centre of Contemporary Art Awards NZ Finalist 2008, 2009, 2010
NZ Painting & Printmaking Award Finalist 2009
NZ Small Sculpture Prize Finalist 2009
Dunedin Performance Art Festival, Blue Oyster Gallery Open Call Selected Artist 2008
Wallace Art Awards 2007 Finalist Salon de Refuse
National Contemporary Art Award (3D) Finalist 2006
International Women's Art Festival 2006 Vienna Austria, Skirt Collective, Jury Selection
Waikato National Art Award (2D) 2004 Finalist / 2005 Merit Prize
Te Tuhi Public Gallery Auckland 2004 Cameo Project
Goldwater Art Award Finalist 2003
Morpeth Canaday Art Award Finalist 2002
Auckland City Creative Communities 2001 Exhibition Grant
North Shore Pumphouse Art Awards Finalist 2001
Solo Exhibitions | projects
HALO 2024-2025, Brooklyn Bridge Park NYC
HALO 2023-2024, Wellington Sculpture Trust, Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Waitangi Treaty Grounds NZ
In Absentia 2023, UNESCO Geopark Kefalonia & Ithaca Greece
UNITY 2022, 'Personal Structures' European Cultural Centre, 2022 Venice Biennale
Alter Ego 2021/2022, Kunstverein am Rosa Luxemburg Platz Berlin
Survey 2021, Scott Lawrie Gallery Auckland NZ
The Wall (US) 2019 Vermont Studio Centre USA
Glass Ceiling (NZ Aotearoa) 2019 Silo Park, Auckland NZ
Suffragettes 2016, Corner Window Gallery, Auckland NZ
Glasloft/Glass Ceiling 2015, Kvindemuseet / KØN Museum Denmark
Square Root 2013, 'Squaring Up - 100 Years After Malevich' Melbourne Australia
Vanity Fair 2013, The Prince George, New York
Third Person 2010, Centre of Contemporary Art, Christchurch
Suspended Sentence 2009, Physics Room Kiosk, Christchurch
En Plein Air 2009, Centre of Contemporary Art, Christchurch
Current Work 2008, City Art Rooms, Auckland
Performance Painting 2008, Blue Oyster Gallery, Dunedin
First Person/Present Tense 2008, Installation City Art Rooms, Auckland
Being-Made 2007, City Art Rooms, Auckland
Nappy Painting 2006, Massey University, Albany
Kaitiaki 2004, Cameo Project, Te Tuhi / Manukau Public Art Gallery
Eve n Eden 2003, Window Project, Eden Arts Festival Auckland
In-Out 2003, University of Auckland
Kaitiaki 2003, Mount Street Studios, University of Auckland
Moving Mountains 2002, Whakatane Museum & Gallery NZ
Moving Mountains 2002, Rotorua Museum of Art & History NZ
In the Balance 2002, University of Auckland
1000 Words 1999, ASA Gallery, Auckland
public art | sculpture
Asterisk 2021–2024 NSW Government Westconnex Sculpture Park, Sydney Australia
The Snake Charmer 2024 Poison Creek Sculpture Project NZ
HALO 2023 Wellington Sculpture Trust NZ
In Absentia 2023 UNESCO Geopark Kefalonia & Ithaca, Greece
Native Tongue XR 2018-2022, New York, Perth, Berlin, Venice
Glass Ceiling (NZ Aotearoa) 2019 Silo Park Auckland NZ
Zealandia 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale / Government House Auckland NZ
The Kiss 2015 Sculpture by the Sea Aarhus Denmark / 2016 SCAPE Public Art
The Snake Charmer 2012 NZ Sculpture Onshore / 2021 Aotearoa Art Fair
Native Tongue 2012 Botanic Gardens / Spark NZ Auckland
Silhouette 2011 Smales Farm Transport Station Auckland
Half Glass 2010 Headland Sculpture on Gulf Waiheke Island
Babel 2010 Kaipara Coast Sculpture Garden
Mirror Image 2009 NZ Sculpture Onshore / 2021 SCAPE Public Art
First Person Present Tense 2008 City Art Rooms Auckland
IAM/MAI 2007 City Art Rooms Auckland
Grass Roots 2006 NZ Sculpture Onshore
Curated Group Exhibitions
2025
Paradise, Poison Creek Sculpture Project 2024-2025
2024
Deep Objekt [], Foreign Objekt 2024
ABSTRAXT ABSTRAXT NorthArt Gallery NZ 2024
Aoteaora NZ Festival of the Arts 2024
Alchemy, Poison Creek Sculpture Project 2023-2024
2023
UNESCO Geopark Kefalonia & Ithaca Activations 2023
Kefalonia 'We Are Nature' International Festival 2023
2022
Personal Structures, European Cultural Centre, Palazzo Bembo &
Giardini Marinaressa, 2022 Venice Art Biennale
Conversations on Shadow Architecture 2022, Dominik Mersch Gallery Sydney
2021
Season 2021, SCAPE Public Art, Studio 125 Christchurch NZ
Conversations on Shadow Architecture, Metro Arts Brisbane Australia
Native Tongue XR, Sculpture by the Sea Cottesloe, Perth Australia
The Snake Charmer, Aotearoa NZ Art Fair, Auckland NZ
2020
The Wall (US), Alumx Exhibition, Vermont Studio Centre USA
Touch (Virtual Exhibition), WomanMade Gallery Chicago
Hello Again, Scott Lawrie Gallery Auckland
Season 2020, SCAPE Public Art, Studio 125 Christchurch
Summer Show, The Vivian / Scott Lawrie Gallery, Matakana NZ
2019
Open Studios, Vermont Studio Centre USA
Winter Show 2019, SCAPE Public Art, Studio 125 Christchurch NZ
Love Lives Here, COCA Centre of Contemporary Art, Christchurch
LIP(S), Silo Park Wynyard Quarter Auckland NZ
2018
International Sculpture Centre, Expo Chicago 2018
Small Sculpture, SCAPE Public Art 2018, Arts Centre Christchurch NZ
Time Space Existence, Venice Architecture Biennale 2018, curated by Global Art Foundation & European Cultural Centre, Giardini Marinaressa, Venice
30 Sculptors, International Sculpture Centre 2018, Artsy
A'18 Blueprint for Better Cities, American Institute of Architecture, Javits Centre, New York
Edge, curated by Dr Irene Barberis, Langford120 Melbourne
2017
Small Sculpture, Studio 125 Gallery SCAPE Public Art Season 2017, Christchurch
Headland Sculpture on the Gulf 2017, Pavillion Gallery Waiheke Island NZ
Opening Show, Studio 125 Gallery SCAPE Public Art, Christchurch NZ
2016
The Kiss, SCAPE Public Art 2016 ‘Presence’ Curated by Heather Galbraith, Christchurch NZ
Aroha, SCAPE Public Art 2016 Christ's College Christchurch
Trinity, National Small Sculpture Prize 2016, Waiheke Art Gallery
2015
Sculpture by the Sea 2015 Aarhus Denmark
Fifteen-Trajectories, Langford120 Melbourne Australia
Headland Sculpture on the Gulf 2015, Pavillion Gallery Waiheke Island NZ
2014
x, New Zealand Sculpture Onshore (10th Biennial) Auckland NZ
Ally Sloper, Chicago Sculpture International 2014, Lewis University Chicago USA
Kahukiwi, National Small Sculpture Prize 2014, Waiheke Art Gallery
Fourteen-Trajectories, Langford120, Melbourne Australia
Shapeshifter 2014, NZ International Arts Festival, Dowse Art Museum
2013
'Squaring Up - 100 Years After Malevich', Langford120 Melbourne
Safe, In[box], ArtBox Gallery Christchurch
x, Sculpture by the Sea Bondi 2013, Sydney
Multiple Choice, Sculpture Inside, SxS Bondi 2013 Sydney
Vanity Fair, Parallax Art Fair New York, The Prince George New York
Ally Sloper, 16th International Open, Woman Made Gallery Chicago
Chip, Off the Wall - Sculpture Invitational, Waiheke Art Gallery
2012
The Snake Charmer, New Zealand Sculpture OnShore
Lean II, ArtHouse, NZ Academy of Fine Arts
Nappy Painting, Women: An Exhibition, NZ Academy of Fine Arts
I+I, National Small Sculpture Prize 2012, Waiheke Art Gallery NZ
Platform, Summer: Sky Above Earth Below, Curator: Andrew Clifford, Waikato Sculpture Trust
2011
Native Tongue, Sculpture in the Gardens, Auckland Botanic Gardens
Not I & II, Sculpture on the Peninsula, Banks Peninsula
Black Fringe, Wallace Finalists Exhibition, Dowse Art Museum
Wallace Art Awards Exhibition, Pah Homestead Auckland
Not I, National Small Sculpture Prize 2011, Waiheke Art Gallery NZ
White I. (Whakaari), Morpeth Canaday Art Award, Whakatane
2010
Portia & Je Suis, NZ Sculpture Onshore
All Black, Spring Catalogue 2010, Nadene Milne Gallery
Natural Selection, Walker & Hall 2D Art Award, Waiheke Art Gallery
13% Painting, Anthony Harper COCA Art Award Exhibition, Centre of Contemporary Art
Portia & Babel, Shapeshifter 2010, NZ International Arts Festival, Dowse Art Museum
Blood Work, Bouncy, Sanderson Contemporary Art, Auckland
Cliffhanger, Sculpture in the Park | E: Scape, Curator: Rob Garrett, Waikato Sculpture Trust
Babel, Exhibition 2010, Kaipara Coast Sculpture Gardens
2009
Half Glass, Headland Sculpture on the Gulf, Waiheke Island
Bush, Sealink Small Sculpture Prize Exhibition, Waiheke Art Gallery
Silver Lining, NZ Painting & Printmaking Award, Hamilton Gardens
All Black, Black Candy, City Art Rooms, Auckland
High Country / Black Cloud, COCA Art Award, Centre Of Contemporary Art
Black Cloud & Bush, Mesh, Antoinette Godkin Gallery, Auckland
Present, National Drawing Award, Artspace, Auckland; Physics Room, Christchurch; Enjoy Public Art Gallery, Wellington
2008
Mirror Image, NZ Sculpture Onshore, North Shore City/Auckland
Prickle, City Art Rooms at Bridge Art Fair, Berlin, Germany
Prick, Unlimited, City Art Rooms, Auckland
Six Days, COCA Art Award, Centre of Contemporary Art, Christchurch
Cloud, Reflecting Skin, City Art Rooms, Auckland
First Person/Present Tense, Installation, City Art Rooms, Auckland
2007
Canvas, Off the Wall, Auckland Art Gallery
Live Recording, Sculpture in the Park (Curator: Carole Shepheard), Waikato Sculpture Trust
Prick, Wallace Art Awards, Auckland Town Hall
Muses, Fine (Curator: Tamara Darragh), Sanderson Contemporary Art, Auckland
2006
Grass Roots, NZ Sculpture Onshore, North Shore City/Auckland
Lawn, Trust Waikato National Contemporary Art Award, Waikato Museum
Nappy Painting, Bath Street Gallery, Auckland
Practice, National Drawing Award, ArtSpace Auckland; Physics Room, Christchurch
2005
Undercoat, Skirt Collective, Installation & Performance, Auckland
End of Line, Activate – Contemporary NZ Artists, Centre of Contemporary Art
Untitled, National Waikato Contemporary Art Award, Hamilton
Handmade, National Drawing Award, ArtSpace, Auckland; Physics Room, Christchurch
2004
Tui-pie, Altered States (Curator: Carole Shepheard) Museum of Cultural Anxiety, Auckland
In/Out, National Waikato Contemporary Art Award Exhibition
2003
Foray, A4 Exchange (Curator: Karin Sander) Weisensee Art School, Berlin, Germany
and George Fraser Gallery, University of Auckland
Fake, Congreve Odyssey House Auction, Auckland
Fake, Winter at the ASA, ASA Gallery, Auckland
Sacred Ground, Goldwater Art Award Exhibition, Waiheke Island
Eve n Eden, Window Project, Eden Arts Festival, Auckland
Remuera, Window Project, Guardian Trust, University of Auckland
2002
Marque 4, ASA Gallery, Auckland
Artist Talks | panels
'AI Equity Revolution' Te Puia Rotorua 2025
'Spatial Sculpture and Cognitive Capital' Saas-Fee Summer Institute of Art NYC 2024
'HALO' Waitangi Treaty Grounds NZ 2024
'Philosophy of Harmony in Abstraction' First International Scientific & Practical Conference "European Future" 2024, Kherson National Technical University, Ukraine
'Don't Scroll Past' Public Art Panel, Aotearoa Art Fair 2024
'Alchemy & The Snake Charmer' Poison Creek Sculpture Project NZ 2024
'In Absentia' Ionion Center for the Arts & Culture, Kefalonia Greece 2023
'Virtual Monuments' CODAsummit 2022, San Jose USA
'UNITY in Miniature: Harmony' Palazzo Bembo European Cultural Centre Venice 2022
'UNITY in XR: Native Tongue' Giardini Marinaressa European Cultural Centre Venice 2022
'Alter Ego' Kunstverein am Rosa Luxemburg Platz Berlin 2022
'Conversations on Shadow Architecture' Artist Panel, Dominik Mersch Sydney Australia 2022
'Creative Disruption' Gatfield Survey Solo Exhibition 2021 Scott Lawrie Gallery Auckland
'Inclusive Monuments Hikoi' Wellington Sculpture Trust / Global Women 2021 Wellington
International Women's Day Interview 2021, KØN Museum Denmark
'The Snake Charmer', SCAPE Public Art Patrons 2021 Aotearoa NZ Art Fair
'Creative Revolution' International CODAHorizons Panel 2021
'Extended Reality in Practice' International CODASummit Virtual 2020
'Zealandia - At Home', Government House 2020 Auckland
'Glass Ceiling', Art in Residence 2020 SCAPE Public Art Christchurch NZ
'Conceptual-Abstraction' Vermont Studio Centre 2019 USA
'Glass Ceiling (NZ Aotearoa)', Silo 6 Auckland NZ 2029
'Suffragette - A Model', Global Women 2019 Auckland NZ
'Native Tongue: Art in Augmented Reality' 2018 Spark Foundation
'Baroque Abstraction: A Romance between Conceptual Abstraction & Italian Baroque' European Cultural Centre, 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale, Italy
‘Creative Process Artist’s Panel’ Facilitator 2017 Estuary Art Centre NZ
‘The Kiss in Context’ SCAPE Public Art 2016, Christchurch Art Gallery NZ
‘Suffragettes’ 2016 Corner Window Gallery Auckland NZ
‘Creative Process – Logic + Intuition’ 2015 Creative Mornings Aarhus Denmark
‘The Kiss’, Sculpture by the Sea 2015 Education Programme, Aarhus Denmark
‘Disruption: The Business of Art’, Global Women Breakthrough Leaders Forum 2014, Auckland
‘Disruptive Innovation & Creativity’, Global Women Conference 2014, Queenstown
‘Square Root’, at Squaring Up 2013, Langford120, Melbourne Australia
‘On x’, Education Program, Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi 2013, Sydney Australia
‘Abstract Figure: Gill Gatfield’, Book Launch, International Sculpture Centre Symposium 2013
‘Art for A Public Wall’, Artist's Panel, NZ Sculpture OnShore 2011, Auckland NZ
‘Native Tongue’, Sculpture in the Gardens, Auckland Botanic Gardens 2011
‘Performance Painting’, Blue Oyster Performance Art Series, Dunedin 2008
‘BeingMade’, University of Auckland Cont. Education Group, Auckland 2007
‘Grass Roots’, Te Tuhi Art Theory Group, NZ Sculpture Onshore 2006
‘Kaitiaki’, Public Lecture Series, Te Tuhi / Manukau Public Art Gallery 2004
‘Fake’, Elam Masters Students, ASA Gallery, Auckland 2003
‘Moving Mountains’, Public Lecture Series, Rotorua Museum of Art & History 2002
Memberships | Associations
International Sculpture Centre, Member
Estuary Arts Centre Auckland, Patron
Global Women, Arts Sector Lead
Coralus (SheEO) Women Entrepreneurs, Activator
NZ Roll of Barristers & Solicitors 1987-
human rights | arts
Convenor, AI Equity Revolution, Global Women Hui 2025
Discussion Panel, Live from Ukraine, Nov. 2022 University of Auckland
Author, The Art of Change, Global Women Mosaic Dec. 2022
Author, Inclusive Monuments Femisphere Vol.4 2021
International Women's Day Interview, KØN Museum Denmark 2021
SheEO Racial Justice Working Group on UN Sustainable Development Goals 2020-2021
Panel member, 'Arts Sector Aotearoa: Lifting the Lid on Gender Bias', Global Women & Te Taumata Toi Aotearoa 2020
Advisory Board member, Platforms for Good 2020-2023
Advisor, NZLS Review of Sexual Harassment & Bullying 2019
Chair, 'Women in Law Summit' Key Media Auckland 2018
Author, Without Prejudice - Same Issue : New Cover (Gatfield Studio 2016; Thompson Reuters 2018)
Author, Without Prejudice: Women in the Law (Brooker’s 1996, 550pp.; Brooker’s Heritage Title 2011)
Research Scholar, New Zealand Law Foundation 1994 and 1995
Founder & Director, Equity Works Ltd. 1993–98
Law Reform Division Senior Advisor, New Zealand Law Society 1992–93
Policy & Law Reform Senior Advisor, Ministry of Women 1990–91
Solicitor, Brookfields Auckland 1987–89 (Litigation, Commercial, Tax)
Barrister & Solicitor, High Court of New Zealand (Practising Certificate 1987–98)
studio
Gatfield Studio Auckland NZ
studio@gatfield.co.nz
www.gillgatfield.com