Tucked into the historic grounds of Henderson’s old Corban winery, Corban Estate Arts Centre has long been a creative anchor for The West. Artists work in studios on site, tamariki and rangatahi take part in classes, and the Homestead Galleries host a constantly changing programme of exhibitions that bring locals together around big ideas.
This April, three new shows opened in the Homestead Galleries, drawing a warm crowd of artists, creatives and locals.
In Carousel Horse, Te Whanganui-a-Tara artists Ben Lysaght and Rubetta Neal use paint to explore collage in imaginative and conceptual ways. By recycling found imagery, they build surreal narratives that reflect on image overload in contemporary culture, weaving together themes of mortality and the uncanny against what they describe as an “endless carousel” of delight and discomfort.
The Kinkeepers, by Robyn Walton and Kirsty McNeil, takes its name from a term coined by sociologist Carolyn Rosenthal to describe the person who quietly holds a family together. The exhibition draws attention to the invisible labour of care, the remembering, organising and emotional work that sustains connection, and asks what happens when that central figure is no longer there. Through their distinct perspectives on motherhood and loss, the artists invite audiences into a deeply human reflection on relationships, resilience and absence.
Darryl Chin’s Idle Window offers something different again. This multi-channel installation draws from screen recordings and camera roll fragments to trace personal rituals of online engagement, the open tabs, rabbit holes, distraction and play that fill our quiet moments. It captures the intimate, fragmented nature of digital life when no one else is watching.
The Trusts is proud to be a sponsor of Corban Estate Arts Centre, supplying product from Trade for their opening nights throughout the year. It’s a small contribution to evenings that do something genuinely valuable: bringing whānau, artists and neighbours into the same room to share ideas and kōrero.
That matters for The West. Spaces like Corban Estate Arts Centre give our community somewhere to gather, to be challenged, and to see ourselves reflected in the work on the walls. The arts strengthen identity, spark conversation, and create room for connection, and Henderson is lucky to have such a vibrant home for them.
The three exhibitions are still running, so there’s plenty of time to head along, take your time in the galleries, and experience the work for yourself.
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Learn more about Corban Estate Arts Centre at ceac.org.nz or follow them on Facebook.
If you or your organisation could use support from The Trusts, find out how to apply at thetrusts.co.nz/our-funds.
