**Join us for a special panel talk held in conjunction with Jessica Pearless’ solo exhibition Paintress.

Jessica Pearless and Kate Woods, artists and collaborators, together with DEPOT Curator Heather Galbraith will contemplate the artistic genre of abstraction.

Sat 12 September, 2pm – 3pm**

About the Speakers

Jessica Pearless is a Tāmaki Makaurau | Auckland based visual artist, creative entrepreneur and arts leader with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (2003) and Master of Fine Arts (Hons) (2011) from Elam School of Fine Arts,The University of Auckland (2011) (University Graduate Scholar). Jessica has exhibited extensively in public, private and commercial art spaces throughout Aotearoa | New Zealand and internationally over her career to date.

Her highly regarded artistic research in abstraction centres on painting, site responsive installation, sculpture. Jessica has received several accolades for her work in the visual arts, including the Inaugural Artists Alliance Artist in Residence (2011); a prestigious AMP National Scholarship (2011); Merit Award,The New Zealand Painting and Printmaking Award (2013 & 2014).

In 2014 she was a Finalist in the prestigious Westpac Women of Influence Awards in the Arts Category. In 2020 Jessica was named on the University of Auckland ’40 Under 40’ list as a Changemaker. Alongside her creative practice, Jessica is mother to two sons, Kaitohu | Director of Paragon Matter Art Services, specialising in valuations and mentoring in the arts sector and Kaitiaki | Guardian of The ABSTRAXT ABSTRAXT Manifestations.

Heather Galbraith is a curator and arts educator and supports DEPOT across its spaces and programmes.

Currently she works part-time as a Professor of Fine Arts at Toi Rauwhārangi College of Creative Arts, Massey University, part-time with the DEPOT, and undertakes other freelance curatorial and project management projects. Heather is currently co-curating 2027 Perpetual Guardian Sculpture on the Gulf “The Ocean Remembers the Shore”.

Previously she has held senior arts roles at Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, City Gallery Wellington Te Whare Toi and St Paul ST Gallery AUT University (now Te Wai Ngutu Kākā Gallery). She is chair of Contemporary HUM Arts Trust, and a Board member of Experience Wellington.

Kate Woods was born in Tāmaki Makaurau and is based there. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Elam School of Fine Arts, Auckland University (2002).

Woods has exhibited widely in artist-run spaces, dealer and public galleries including Te Tuhi Centre for the Arts, XYZ Collective Tokyo, and City Gallery Wellington Te Whare Toi. She was the recipient of an Asia New Zealand Foundation Residency at Three Shadows Photography Art Centre in Beijing in 2012.

Image Credit: Jessica Pearless Wearable Abstraxtion (Papura), 2025 (Detail)

Thumbnail Image Credit: Jessica Pearless in Wearable Abstraxtion(Pango) photographed by Felix Jackson for mothermother 2025.

Contact the host of Paintress: Panel Talk

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