Student Series 2025

Re-earth

Rory Mainwaring | Bella Macdonald

Opening 5pm, Wednesday 30 July

Artist talk 12pm, Thursday 31 July

We invite you in-gallery to join us for a drink of hot chocolate. We hope to facilitate an environment that favours community and encourages informality. Participating in slower modes of connection can be sacred in an age where there is an ingrained expectation of constant productivity.  We offer the chance to take a breath, as a reminder that we can ‘re-earth’ ourselves through physical forms of interaction. 

Handmade ceramic tumblers act as facilitators for this event. Made with love, we emphasise how an object can be both a grounding force and a social connector.  Within our show these tumblers highlight the historic role that the sharing of food and drink has played across communities. We invite you to become a part of the art, simply through existing in this shared space. 

Slowing down and taking time to connect can take active intention and practice, so we will be offering multiple opportunities across the week to reengage with the space; we hope you will join us.  

Our reactivations will take place on: 

  • Wednesday the 30th of July at 5pm (opening night) 

  • Thursday the 31st at 12pm (this will be part of the artist talk that begins at 12pm)

  • Monday the 4th of august at 11am 

  • Wednesday the 6th of august at 1:30pm 


The Ilam Campus Gallery Student Series is an annual showcase of some of the current practices at the Ilam School of Fine Arts. 

2025 Student Series Exhibitions:

  • 16 Jul - 23 Jul - 'SQUELCH', Virginia Ferguson and CJ Maglaqui

  • 30 Jul - 6 Aug - 'Re-earth' , Bella Macdonald and Rory Mainwaring

  • 13 Aug - 20 Aug- 'Breathe. Draw. Hold. Release', Claudia Du

  • 10 Sep - 17 Sep - 'Heaven and the Hard Shoulder', Marie Lawrence, Fionn Walker, and Lucinda Tennent


The Ilam Campus Gallery is generously supported by Three Boys Brewery, Murray and Co, and the University of Canterbury.