2025 recipient

The 2025 recipient of the Fair Trust Art Prize is acclaimed contemporary carver Ngaroma Riley. Riley’s work draws on traditional Māori carving forms including karetao (Māori puppetry), storytelling, autobiography and popular culture.

“As a full-time artist, I’m still terrified each time I make new work, so it’s incredibly validating and humbling to be a recipient of the Fair Trust Art Prize,” says Riley, who is of Te Rarawa, Te Aupōuri and Pākehā descent.

“I’ve had three solo exhibitions but this is the first time I’ve had a budget like this, which is such a gift because it means I can focus on creating. I’m excited and so grateful to the legacy of Dr Eileen Fair and her Trust, as well as the curators who recommended me, and the team at Te Manawa.”

Te Manawa Museum of Art, Science and Heritage Senior Curator, Sian van Dyk, says Riley was a clear standout for the judging panel.

“Ngaroma’s mahi is conceptually and visually strong, while still being accessible to so many different communities. Her pathway as an artist is an example of the worldwide interest in contemporary indigenous artists who are looking to taonga and to re-engage themselves and audiences with their heritage. Combining techniques from carvers across the world, Ngaroma’s work brings with it a unique combination of local and global relevance.”

Riley’s carving journey began in Japan, learning from Buddhist statue makers. Since returning home in 2020, she has exhibited widely, including at Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival, Season Aotearoa, Artspace Aotearoa, and Aotearoa Art Fair. In 2025, she was awarded the Molly Morpeth Canaday Major Award and the Caselberg Trust Creative Connections residency in Dunedin.

“It’s fantastic that the Fair Trust Art Prize has a focus on community engagement,” says Riley.

“There aren’t a lot of pathways for people to get hands-on experience in sculpture, so I’m looking forward to running community workshops, and I hope to offer inspiration to aspiring carvers. So many places in Aotearoa have their own unique histories and kōrero. I’m always inspired by whakapapa, and I’m really excited to get to know the Manawatū better.”

Alongside her own art practice, Riley is a co-founder for the Shared Lines Collective and Te Ana o Hine. The former was developed to support resilient cities through artistic exchange between Aotearoa and Japan, after major earthquakes in each country, while Te Ana o Hine is a wahine-led carving shed based at Te Tuhi, Pakuranga, which offers a safe and supportive environment for wāhine taketake and others who may encounter barriers in the carving world.

Further details about Riley’s exhibition at Te Manawa in Te Papaioea Palmerston North, and associated public programmes will be announced later in the year.

Ngaroma Riley is represented by Tim Melville gallery.