This art show is an evocation of the Waikato landscape in pastoral idyllic terms

Eden in the Waikato
by 
Peter Dornauf – Artist and Writer
Whakaaturanga Gallery

27 May – 15 June 2025

Opening Event Saturday, 31 May, 11:00 AM to 1:30 PM

Arts on Tuesday Event, 10 June, 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM

Join our new exhibition Eden in the Waikato by Peter Dornauf –This series of new paintings is an evocation of the Waikato landscape in pastoral idyllic terms, using the allusion to the Garden of Eden as a controlling metaphor, in the same way Colin McCahon used it in, Six days in Nelson and Canterbury.

Artist Statement
This new series of paintings, entitled, Eden In The Waikato, centers around an evocation of the Waikato landscape, specially focusing on agrarian settings and presented in pastoral idyllic terms.

They use the allusion to the Garden of Eden as a controlling metaphor to help express the happy experience the artist had of living (as a child – that time of innocence) on a Waikato farm. But they go beyond that by presenting the motif as a vision and ideal, in a broad sense, for humanity as a whole.

Included in the imagery are references to New Zealand made toys – the Fun Ho! brand, particularly the vintage pieces that hark back nostalgically to a period of time often referred to as the “golden age” in this country.

All the works, in different ways, celebrate that time and place as a kind of paradise, a bucolic encounter, which often is only realized and appreciated long after the experience is over, when looking back.

Both Colin McCahon (Nelson and Canterbury) and Shane Cotton (Ohaeawai) have, in their own fashion, explored similar ideas attached to their own special time and place in these islands, but this is the first occasion anyone has done the same for the Waikato.

Recently I have published a long poem (58 pages) called, I REMEMBER I FORGET, which explores the same themes but in a literary way, while using many of the paintings in this exhibition to help illustrate the text.
Artist Biography
Peter Dornauf is a Waikato artist and writer who has been practicing his craft and exhibited for over 40 years. His painting style is an eclectic mix of naïve expressionism with touches of abstraction. He has had two retrospective exhibitions at the Waikato Museum & Gallery, Te Whare Taonga O Waikato, and recently wrote the commissioned book, 101 Contemporary Waikato Artists, to help celebrate the Friends of the Museum’s fifty-year anniversary.
His works are held in both private collections and public institutions.

About the Morrinsville Gallery  
The Morrinsville Art Gallery Charitable Trust proudly celebrates its 15th anniversary in 2025 as the heart of community art in the Matamata-Piako District. We are passionate about creating a welcoming and vibrant space for both locals and visitors in Morrinsville and throughout the beautiful Waikato region.

As a non-profit organization, we rely entirely on community support. Our efforts would not be possible without the help of donors, volunteers, and community members like you. Thank you for being an integral part of our community and our story.