Through the Lens: Gendered Reflections – University of Auckland

In 2024, I collaborated with a group of students from the Postgraduate course of Art Writing and Curating at the University of Auckland. This group was preparing a major exhibition entitled Through the Lens: Gendered Reflections, an exhibition dedicated to the works of New Zealand women photographers, organised at the historic Old Government House, on the campus of the University of Auckland.

The exhibition was the result of a study path under the guidance of curator Linda Tyler and the curatorial team of the Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, and explore the theme of femininity and identity through the lens of renowned photographers. Among the artists exhibited were famous names such as Yvonne Todd, Lisa Reihana, Marti Friedlander, Ann Shelton, Fiona Pardington, Yuki Kihara, all alumnae of the Elam School of Fine Arts.

Project Objectives

My task was to support the promotion of the exhibition through the creation of graphics and visual content for:

• Social Media (Instagram and Facebook): Design eye-catching posts to promote the event.
• Email Marketing: creating a graphic banner for the official email invitation.

The aim was to attract both an academic and external audience, and to ensure that the graphic materials reflected the exhibition’s visual identity and theme.

Creative Approach

For the social graphics and banner, I was inspired by the central theme of the exhibition – the deconstruction of femininity and identity through photography. I wanted the visuals to reflect the artistic sensibility of the photographers exhibited, combining minimal design elements with powerful images and concise texts.

• Instagram & Facebook: The social graphics were designed to capture the attention of the digital public, using visual extracts of the exhibited works and colors that recalled the tone of the exhibition: neutral and refined tones with feminine and powerful contrasts.

• Email Banners: I designed an elegant banner that included key details about the event (date, location, theme) and commanded attention in a professional manner, while remaining in line with the University’s academic branding and the tone of the exhibition.

Result

The event was a success, attracting the attention of both art experts and a wider audience. The graphics I created helped to strengthen the visibility of the exhibition on social media channels and created an elegant and attractive invitation for email marketing. This project demonstrated my ability to create visual content that is consistent with the theme and spirit of an art exhibition, while effectively conveying the message across multiple platforms.