Mark Adams: A Survey | He Kohinga Whakaahua

Across a career spanning more than 50 years Mark Adams (born 1949) has photographed Aotearoa New Zealand – its land, peoples and its complex, multilayered histories. His practice documents sites of significance across the country, including places where Captain James Cook and his crew came ashore on their visits in 1769 and the 1770s, and locations where Te Tiriti o Waitangi was signed in 1840.

Over the decades, Adams has sustained a deep and ongoing engagement with subjects of interest. He has photographed whakairo Māori (Māori carving) both here and overseas and the work of celebrated tufuga tatatau, master tattoo artists, in Samoan communities in Tāmaki Makaurau for over 30 years. With Aotearoa as his tūrangawaewae (standing place), his images explore the migration of artistic and cultural practices across the globe and examine the role of museums and photography in this dynamic and ongoing cross-cultural exchange.

Mark Adams: A Survey | He Kohinga Whakaahua offers the first comprehensive survey of New Zealand photographer Mark Adams' work, showcasing more than 65 works spanning his 50-year career. Bringing together black-and-white and colour photographs made decades apart, it examines his compelling and distinctive approach to image-making in Aotearoa.

Accompanying the exhibition is a beautifully crafted book, Mark Adams: A Survey | He Kohinga Whakaahua, co-published with Massey University Press. This publication is the first ever detailed consideration of Adams' entire body of work. The book will be available from the Gallery’s shop in-store and online as well as all good bookstores from 3 April 2025. 

Mark Adams: A Survey | He Kohinga Whakaahua is proudly supported by the Auckland Art Gallery Foundation.  

Image credit: Mark Adams, 09.06.1986. Toot and Whistle Steam Railway. Kuirau Park. Rotorua, 1986, silver bromide prints, courtesy of the artist and Two Rooms, Auckland.

Please note, in the second room of this exhibition, one artwork contains sexual references. It also depicts human remains from Borneo. Please ask one of our friendly Gallery Assistants, Kaiārahi if you would like assistance during your visit.