The Walters Prize is New Zealand's largest contemporary art prize. Held biennially since 2002, the prize aims to 'make contemporary art a more widely recognised and debated feature of cultural life'. The prize is named in honour of New Zealand abstract painter

Gordon Walters Gordon Frederick Walters (24 September 1919 – 5 November 1995) was a Wellington-born artist and graphic designer who is significant to New Zealand culture due to his representation of New Zealand in his Modern Abstract artworks. Education G ...

and the founding benefactors and principal donors are Erika and Robin Congreve and Dame Jenny Gibbs. The prize is organised by and held at

Auckland Art Gallery Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki is the principal public gallery in Auckland, New Zealand. It has the most extensive collection of national and international art in New Zealand and frequently hosts travelling international exhibitions. Set be ...

. Four artists are nominated each year by a panel of four New Zealand-based jurors for a work or body of work exhibited in the previous two years. The four artists are invited to install the nominated works (or version of their nominated show) at the Auckland Art Gallery in a public exhibition. The prize is awarded by a visiting international judge. The winner receives $50,000.

Recipients and finalists

2024 Judge: Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung Jurors: Robert Leonard, Tendai Mutambu, Melanie Oliver and Hanahiva Rose Winner: Ana Iti ''A resilient heart like the mānawa'' Finalists: * Juliet Carpenter ''EGOLANE'' * Owen Connors ''your cart and plow over the bones of the dead'' and ''Incubations'' *

Brett Graham Brett Graham (born 1967) is a New Zealand sculptor who creates large scale artworks and installations that explore histories of imperialism and global indigenous issues. Graham lives and works in Waiuku on the southern shore of Manukau Harbour ...

''Tai Moana Tai Tangata'' * Ana Iti ''The woman whose back was a whetstone,'' ''Roharoha'' and ''I must shroud myself in stinging nettle'' 2021 Judge: Kate Fowle Jurors: Allan Smith, Nathan Pohio, Melanie Oliver, Charlotte Huddleston. Finalists: * Mata Aho Collective and Maureen Lander for ''Atapō'' (winner) * Fiona Amundsen for ''A Body That Lives'' * Sriwhana Spong for ''The painter-tailor'' * Sonya Lacey for ''Weekend'' There was some controversy over conflict of interest with this iteration of the Walters Prize, as two of the selected works had been in exhibitions curated by jurors. 2018 Judge:

Adriano Pedrosa Adriano Pedrosa (born 1965) is a Brazilian curator. He is the artistic director of the São Paulo Museum of Art (MASP) and curated the 2024 Venice Biennale. Career From 2011 to 2014, Pedrosa was responsible for the artistic programs at SP-Art ...

Jurors: Stephen Cleland, Allan Smith, Lara Strongman, Megan Tamati-Quennell Finalists: * Ruth Buchanan for ''Bad Visual Systems'' (winner) * Jacqueline Fraser for ''The Making of Mississippi Grind 2017'' * Jess Johnson & Simon Ward for ''Whol Why Wurld'' * Pati Solomona Tyrell for ''Fāgogo'' 2016 Judge: Doryun Chong Jurors: Emma Bugden, Peter Robinson, Lara Strongman, Nina Tonga Finalists: *

Shannon Te Ao Shannon Te Ao (born in Sydney in 1978) is a New Zealand artist and writer. He won the 2016 Walters Prize. Education Te Ao completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours) and a Graduate Diploma of Teaching at the University of Auckland. He has a ma ...

for ''Two shoots that stretch far out'' (2013–2014) (winner) * Joyce Campbell for ''Flightdream'' (2015) * Nathan Pohio for ''Raise the anchor, unfurl the sails, set course to the centre of an ever setting sun!'' (2015) * Lisa Reihana for ''in Pursuit of Venus nfected' (2015) 2014 Judge: Charles Esche Jurors:

Tina Barton Christina Joy Barton (born 1958), known as Tina Barton, is a New Zealand art History of art, historian, curator, art writer and editor. She was director of the Adam Art Gallery between 2007 and 2023. Education Barton completed a Masters of Art ...

, Anna-Marie White, Peter Robinson, Caterina Riva. Finalists: * Luke Willis Thompson for ' (winner) * Maddie Leach for ''If you find the good oil let us know'' * Simon Denny for ''All You Need is Data'' *

Kalisolaite 'Uhila Kalisolaite ‘Uhila is a Tongan-born New Zealand award-winning Performance art, performance artist. Biography Kalisolaite ‘Uhila was born in Tonga in 1981, and is based in Auckland. 'Uhila began as a Printmaking, print maker, completing his ...

for ''Mo'ui tukuhausia'' 2012 Judge: Mami Kataoka Jurors: David Cross, Aaron Kreisler, Kate Montgomery, Gwynneth Porter. * Kate Newby for ''Crawl out your window'' (winner) * Simon Denny for ''Introductory logic video tutorial'' * Alicia Frankovich for ''Floor Resistance'' * Sriwhana Spong for ''Fanta Silver and Song'' 2010 Judge: Vicente Todolí Jurors: Jon Bywater, Rhana Devenport, Leonhard Emmerling and Kate Montgomery. * Dan Arps for ''Explaining Things'' (winner) * Alex Monteith for ''Passing Manoeuvre with Two Motorcycles and 584 Vehicles for Two-Channel Video '' * Fiona Connor for ''Something Transparent (please go round the back) '' * Saskia Leek for ''Yellow is the Putty of the World'' German-based New Zealand artist Michael Stevenson was also nominated for his 2008 exhibition ''Persepolis 2530'' shown in

Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...

, but the Auckland Art Gallery stated that 'due to accommodation and budgetary constraints it was not possible to exhibit' the work and therefore while the nomination stood it was not eligible for judging. 2008 Judge:

Catherine David Catherine David (born 19 September 1954) is a French art historian, curator and museum director. David was the first woman and the first non-German speaker to curate documenta X in Kassel, Germany (21 June – 28 September 1997). David was ...

Jurors: Jon Bywater, Elizabeth Caldwell, Andrew Clifford and Rhana Devenport * Peter Robinson for ''ACK'' (winner) * Edith Amituanai for ''Déjeuner'' * Lisa Reihana for ''Digital Marae'' * John Reynolds for ''Cloud'' 2006 Judge:

Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev (born December 2, 1957) is an Italian-American writer, art historian, and exhibition maker who served as the Director of Castello di Rivoli Museo d'Arte Contemporanea in Turin in 2009 and from 2016 to 2023. She was al ...

Jurors:

, Andrew Clifford,

Wystan Curnow Wystan Tremayne Le Cren Curnow (born 1939) is a New Zealand art critic, poet, academic, arts administrator, and independent curator. He is the son of Elizabeth Curnow, a painter and printmaker, and poet Allen Curnow. Biography Curnow was born ...

and Heather Galbraith *

Francis Upritchard Francis Upritchard (born 1976) is a New Zealand contemporary artist based in London. In 2009, she represented New Zealand at the Venice Biennale. Education Upritchard graduated from the Ilam School of Fine Arts at the University of Canterbury ...

for ''Doomed, Doomed, All Doomed'' (winner) * Stella Brennan for ''Wet Social Sculpture'' * Phil Dadson for ''Polar Projects'' * Peter Robinson for ''The Humours'' 2004 Judge: Robert Storr Jurors:

, Dr

Deidre Brown Deidre Sharon Brown (born 1970) is a New Zealand art historian and architectural academic. Brown currently teaches at the University of Auckland and is the Deputy Dean for the University of Auckland Faculty of Creative Arts and Industries, Facul ...

, Greg Burke and

Justin Paton Justin Paton (born 1972) is a New Zealand writer, art critic and curator, currently based in Sydney, Australia. His book ''How to Look at a Painting'' (2005) was adapted into a 12-episode television series by TVNZ in 2011. Education Paton stu ...

et al. References Notes References Further reading * * External links * {{Latin phrases E ...

for ''restricted access'' (winner) * Jacqueline Fraser for ''<>'' *

Ronnie van Hout Ronnie van Hout (born 22 February 1962) is a New Zealand artist and musician living in Melbourne, Australia. He works across a wide variety of media including sculpture, video, painting, photography, embroidery, and sound recordings. Early life a ...

for ''No Exit Parts 1 and 2'' * Daniel von Sturmer for ''The Truth Effect'' 2002 Judge:

Harald Szeemann Harald Szeemann (11 June 1933 – 18 February 2005) was a Swiss curator, artist, and art history, art historian. Having curated more than 200 exhibitions, many of which have been characterized as groundbreaking, Szeemann is said to have helped red ...

Jurors: Robert Leonard,

, Anna Miles and William McAloon *

Yvonne Todd Yvonne Todd (born 1973) is a contemporary New Zealand photographer known for her manipulation of conventional photographic techniques and genres. Early life and education Todd was born in Takapuna, Auckland. In the mid 1990s, she studied profes ...

for ''Asthma and Eczema'' (winner) *

Gavin Hipkins Gavin John Hipkins (born 1968 in Auckland) is a New Zealand photographer and filmmaker, and Associate Professor at Elam School of Fine Arts, at the University of Auckland. Education Hipkins completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts at the University o ...

for ''The Homely'' (1997-2000) * John Reynolds for ''Harry Human Heights'' (2001) * Michael Stevenson for ''Call Me Immendorff'' (2000)

References

{{Reflist, 2 New Zealand visual arts awards Art exhibitions in New Zealand Awards established in 2002 2002 establishments in New Zealand Events in Auckland