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Auckland New Zealand is eclectic and modern city visually enhanced with street art and sculpture. You would be hard-pressed to find a business district in the city that didn’t have some sort of public art. Auckland street art ranges from classic painting to modern graffiti-like styles. Similarly, the city’s sculpture covers a range from traditional Maori carvings to funky and contemporary strands blowing in the wind. Each year, Auckland Art Week (October) brings it all together.

As art is visual, let me take you on a virtual Auckland street art tour through photography.

Auckland Art Week is in October. It is a great time to discover New Zealand art, either on your own or through a free walking tour. Auckland offers a variety of art tour options each year, sponsored primarily by Heart of the City.

Auckland Street Art

The Auckland Street Art tour is one we can do annually, as street art is an ever-changing medium. Always a bit different, it is generally my highlight of Auckland Art Week. The tour features permanent and temporary works that highlight various stages of the progression of street art from the illegal tagging of the 90s through today’s frequently sponsored and often commissioned Auckland Street Art.

Some of my favourite examples of Auckland Street Art:

Street Art by Jonny 4Higher in Auckland New Zealand
Inner City Life is what the full piece of art reads. By Jonny 4Higher, this spray painting is one of several graffiti artworks that were once displayed on containers at Queen’s Wharf.
Critically endangered takahe bird painted on a wall of Britomart car park in Auckland, New Zealand.
This is one of 16 New Zealand bird murals painted by Flox (Hailey King) in the Britomart car park. The image painted here is a critically endangered takahe, a bird I have been lucky enough to see twice, once on Tiritiri Matangi, and later at Zealandia in Wellington.
Auckland street art seen during Art Week tour, Auckland, New Zealand
On the side of Mexico, a restaurant in Britomart, this piece is a good example of paste-up paper art, tailing on from the days in which it street art was illegal. It was quicker to do part of the art on paper and then paste it up.

More Auckland Street Art

Tongan influenced Auckland street art by Benjamin Work in Auckland New Zealand
Our guide Eleanor shares some of the background on this Tongan-influenced piece by Benjamin Work entitled: Tu’i ‘o e ngaahi Tu’i. It is on Fort Lane, just outside the sloping Everybody’s Bar. The area has an interesting history found here.
Lane Change by John Radford, relief Auckland Street Art, New Zealand
“Lane Change” is a relief piece by John Radford on Mills Lane.
Bellota by Peter Gordon street art
An artwork of chalk on the wall outside of one of my favourite restaurants in Auckland.
This Auckland street art was commissioned for Auckland Art Week and is a collaboration between Askew One, Elliot Francis Stewart and Gary Silipa.
This Auckland street art was commissioned for the 2014 Art Week and is a collaboration between Askew One, Elliot Francis Stewart and Gary Silipa.

For more great street art from around the world, check out these coffee table books:

Highlights of an Auckland Street Art Tour in 2016

In 2016 Heart of the City commissioned several talented New Zealand artists to create hearts for the city including Dick Frizzell, Askew One, Sara Hughes, Chris Heaphy, and Flox.

This Dragon by Chris Heaphy is one of the Heart of the City Hearts in Auckland New Zealand
This Dragon by Chris Heaphy is on Federal Street. Notice the Maori warrior proudly standing on the whisker of the dragon and the European on horseback upon the claw.
This spray chalk and stencil carpet is one of the temporary exhibits in Auckland Artweek, New Zealand
This spray chalk and stencil carpet is a collaborative effort by several artists. The rain has been a huge challenge to this particular piece. Multiple reapplications were needed.  It represents the tapestry of our lives and ancestors.
A mosaic memorial at the port where the Rainbow Warrior was sunk in 1985 in Auckland New Zealand
A mosaic memorial at the port where the Rainbow Warrior was sunk in 1985.
Just a Wee Drop by Elliot Francis Stewart, Auckland New Zealand
Entitled “Just a Wee Drop” also by Elliot Francis Stewart, this is hubby’s favourite example of Auckland street art.

Auckland Waterfront Artwork and Sculptures

Another year, another Auckland Art Week, another free walking tour. In 2014 we enjoyed a Waterfront Artwork and Sculpture tour as well as another Auckland street art tour.

Pou Tū Te Rangi by Chris Bailey is one of many pieces of Auckland Waterfront Artwork
These seven Pou (carved wooden posts) by Chris Bailey represent family, according to our guide.
Fountain outside of Britomart, in Auckland New Zealand
This fountain, shaped like a dormant volcano, sits outside of Britomart, Auckland’s main transportation hub, over the train tunnels. In the winter steam rises from the centre when trains pass.

Fire Window day and night

Fire Window by American Artist Eric Orr, 1996.

The water runs down the steel sides, and at night flames are visible on the top. I prefer it at night. What do you think?

Fire Window by Eric Orr is in Viaduct Harbour, Auckland New Zealand
Fire Window in the day time. 
Artwork at night in Auckland New Zealand
Fire Window at night.
The Flooded Mirror by Rachel Shearer in Auckland, New Zealand
The Flooded Mirror by Rachel Shearer. Hubby looks and listens as this art is about the sound that is heard through the vents as the water passes under the bridge.
Statue of Maori Chief in Auckland New Zealand
“A Maori Figure in a Kaitaka Cloak” sculptured by Molly Macalister. The unconfirmed story told by one of our guides is that this piece was originally commissioned to sit outside of Britomart, but people wanted a more traditionally dressed warrior to a cloaked warrior, so it was moved.

All photos on this page ©Rhonda Albom. All rights reserved.

Practical Information on Auckland Street Art and Sculpture

  • Auckland Art Week annually falls in October. It’s a colourful event encompassing much of the city with free walking tours, gallery exhibits, workshops, and lectures. It’s a coming together of all things artistic in the city.
  • Sponsored by Heart of the City, many of the free walking tours and some of the other events require registration. See their official website.
  • Auckland Artweek events take place at over 100 venues in ten neighbourhoods throughout Auckland.
  • There are many very talented New Zealand artists. I hope you have discovered a few new favourites today.
Lamps on Quay Street on a rainy night in Auckland New Zealand
Not art per se, but I do love the lampposts on Quay Street.

More Street Art and Sculpture from Around the World

It’s no secret that I love street art. I search it out when we travel, I photograph it, and I share it here on Albom Adventures. If you are also a fan, check out these articles featuring some of my favourite collections:

Please Share

If you enjoyed this article, please share it on social media, including Pinterest. The two images here:

  1. An interesting typeface street artwork on Mills Lane in Auckland.
  2. These colourful ribbons and bells are from the artist, Tiffany Singh.

A 'virtual tour' of street art around Auckland. Have a look over at the blog and let us know which is your favourite!Auckland Artweek features walking tours, gallery exhibits, workshops, and lectures every October. (Auckland New Zealand)

Have you had a chance to take a walk amongst the Auckland street art and sculptures? Which Auckland Artweek events peak your interest?

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. I really enjoyed reading your post. I thought your post was beautifully written. Many thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  2. I like the ribbons and bells the best. Does someone come back later and take it all down? My 2nd favorite is the spray chalk and stencil “carpet” which I imagine is quite a challenge to execute in rainy weather. I’ve seen a lot of paste up art before but always considered it more along the lines of advertising than artful expression.

    Reply

  3. This is the type of event I would have loved to have gone to. We discovered Laneways in Melbourne —they’re very cool, and they tried to introduce them in Brissy. cheers from Kid can doodle!

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  4. Awesome! I really loved Auckland each time I visited and hope to be back there. I think I actually remember seeing some really funky art around town, I mostly love modern art so this would be a great event to attend. Shame that it’s on the other side of the world for me though…

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  9. Very colorful and ingenious! I like the heart theme and the different display on the floor. Seems like a cool event to attend with the entire family.

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  11. I never knew Auckland was so artsy! This week of events sounds like so much fun! I love taking art tours, as I’m not very good at figuring out the message behind art myself, so this looks like something I would love to take part in! 😀

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  14. I love these kinds of events that get a whole city involved in art and that make it accessible to everyone. they are usually also pretty kid-friendly, too.

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  16. I saw the Rainbow Warrior Mosaic a few years ago when I was in Auckland, but would love to be there for the Street Art Festival – there are some amazing pieces. I love all the Hearts for the ‘Heart of the City’ – they’re really cute!

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  17. Love street art. One of my favorite activities to check out in a new city. So many cities have a growing scene. Just spent time in Belgrade, and did a fantastic street art tour, with most of the street art made in the last few years. Auckland has some impressive pieces of art too!

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  18. Really love it how they have even included the roadway. Street art really is developing a life of it’s own now isn’t it. Great photos, great celebration of something that is so col.

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  19. This is really a wonderful outlet for creative people. In Bangalore too we have some thing similar, but is is held just once a year! But the idea is catching on small streets too put up similar such displays.

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    • It rained quite a bit yesterday so I imagine today, the last day of Artweek, that most of that chalk is gone. Too bad they didn’t do it with something a bit more permanent.

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  23. I really like the Tiffany Singh ribbons – there’s just something about art installations like hers that appeal to me. Looks like an incredible week of art!

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    • It’s not too late, it’s still on this weekend. Although the rain has probably destroyed the chalk art, the rest will still be there. There are more free tours today and tomorrow.

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  26. I find street art to be quite interesting. I can love it or I can hate it. But it certainly always brightens up any town! #Wkendtravelinspiration

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  28. Very colourful and festive! I really like the chalk and patterns on the ground. Don’t you just hate when there’s something really cool to photograph but is impossible to capture properly.

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    • I spent so long trying to capture that pink heart that the tour guide had stopped talking and the entire group had walked around the corner and through the square. Good thing they missed the traffic light or I would have lost them forever 🙂

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  40. I love the 2nd one down. I always wonder how long it lasts though. I’d think with people walking, cars driving and snow scooping it wouldn’t last long. It’s so cool though! The ribbons and circle bouquets are really neat too!

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    • This particular laneway didn’t seem to have any cars, and we never get snow in Auckland. (I shouldn’t say never, we did once get a light layer, but it was gone in a few hours, if that long.

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  44. You’ve convinced us! We’re coming to Auckland. D is just waiting on a confirmation on our accommodation in Hastings and then he will book the airfares. If you are around in February we have to get together and you can tell us all the things we should be doing in your beautiful city.

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    • Yay! We should be here in February, as Sarah comes home after a year in Argentina mid-January. She is going to need a break before we travel again. Let’s talk soon! So excited to meet you.

      Reply

  45. Love the array of colorful street art! It’s a shame that the chalk and stencil carpet has to be reapplied after it rains. You can see all of the creativity that went into this project.

    Reply

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