Tuesday 9 September 2025
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki will present the first solo exhibition in Aotearoa New Zealand of Louise Bourgeois (1911–2010), one of the most intriguing and influential artists of the last century.
Opening 27 September, Louise Bourgeois: In Private View brings together a selection of works from an international private collection, exhibited publicly for the first time. The exhibition spans over six decades of Bourgeois’s career, from early paintings made in 1945 to a fabric work from the final year of her life.
Auckland Art Gallery Senior Curator, Global Contemporary Art, Natasha Conland, says, “Bourgeois remains a defining figure in late twentieth-century art with the ripples of her influence still being felt today. She is known for her highly personal and idiosyncratic sculptural practice which has lent her a special place in the history of art.”
“The works in the exhibition are from a private collection lived with over many years, reflecting a deep and personal appreciation of her practice.”
Widely celebrated for her psychologically charged and bold sculptural practice, Bourgeois explored themes of memory, family, the body and the subconscious, often drawing from personal experiences. She is best known for her series of large spider sculptures, which have been installed in many major international cities.
Louise Bourgeois: In Private View offers an intimate encounter with Bourgeois’s work, and follows the evolution of her art practice over time. Highlights include paintings and her first series of sculptures, the Personages, from the 1940s and early ‘50s; Lair sculptures from the early 1960s; and significant later works, such as textile-based sculptures and sculptural enclosures. Spider VI (2002) is a wall-mounted example of her internationally acclaimed series of spider sculptures, which she began in the mid-1990s. Also featured is her extraordinary hanging sculpture, The Couple, and late outdoor piece, Eyes.
A series of curator tours and talks, open lates, as well as family-friendly activities has been programmed with the exhibition. The Gallery Shop has also launched a new range of Bourgeois inspired products which includes socks, brooches, books and more.
Louise Bourgeois: In Private View is proudly supported by the Contemporary Benefactors of Auckland Art Gallery.
Exhibition details
Louise Bourgeois: In Private View
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki
Saturday 27 September 2025–Sunday 17 May 2026
Events
Curator Talk: Life Woven into Art
Saturday 27 September 2–3pm
Hear insights into the life of Louise Bourgeois and the works on display from Senior Curator Natasha Conland.
Kids & Whānau Create: Fabric Books, an Ode to Louise
Weekends and School Holidays from 28 September–October 11am–3pm
Inspired by Louise Bourgeois’s work with fabric and her childhood spent in her family’s tapestry restoration workshop, this hands-on activity invites children and families to create their own fabric books. Participants will sew the pages together and weave in personal memories and images of the things they love.
Members Late | Louise Bourgeois
Friday 3 October 6–8pm
An exclusive after-hours viewing of the exhibition for Gallery Members.
Open Late: Louise Bourgeois
Thursday 16 October 6–9pm
An evening celebrating Louise Bourgeois, featuring workshops, music, performances, food trucks and a cash bar.
Curator insights
Every Thursday in November 1–1.30pm
Each week, curator Natasha Conland will explore a different room or theme in the exhibition, offering an intimate look at the life and legacy of Louise Bourgeois.