
Forged
ABOUT THIS EXHIBITION

DATES & TIMES
26 September - 15 November
Open Daily: 10am - 4pm
Contemporary jeweller Johanna Zellmer’s interest in national identities and cross-cultural matters is explored in her exhibition Forged on show at the Ashburton Art Gallery. Her work for this show is constructed from commemorative coins that reflect a period of German History. These coins are manipulated by Zellmer to take on new meaning and question notions of contemporary identity and its embodiment in a single object.
“The language of Jewellery & Metalsmithing is capable of reflecting both the need for control and the need for uncontrolled fluency. Only with both at play will a quality or essence already inherent in the source material become comprehensible. My ‘coinscapes’ emerge with the simple use of existing texts, a piercing saw and a cross peen hammer. I create them from annually minted coins commemorating events and iconic personalities. The ever-changing design of the eagle, its associations (being the emblem for Germany) and the momentous inscriptions on the coins intrigue my eye and mind.” Johanna Zellmer
Combining history, photography, interviews and the changing discipline of jewellery, this exhibition is a a rare gem which is insightful and meaningful while deconstructing and questioning a topic which most can relate to.
DATES & TIMES
26 September - 15 November
Open Daily: 10am - 4pm
Wednesday: 10am - 7pm
OTHER EXHIBITIONS
30 October 2025 - 30 November 2025

Clay Fever
Hakatere Ceramics
Clay Fever is the exhibition of the Hakatere Ceramics and Pottery Club. The show opens with an awards…
05 October 2025 - 30 November 2025

Consider the Flowers
Margaret Trolove
This exhibition is a celebration of the art of Margaret Trolove (1925-2025), a long-standing member of Whakatere Ashburton’s…
17 August 2025 - 07 October 2025

Kura Pounamu | Our Treasured Stone
Kura Pounamu is an exhibition presented by the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa and Te Rūnanga o…
17 August 2025 - 19 October 2025

The Same Coin
Chloe Summerhayes and Sam Walker
In late 2022 two painters drafted an agreement that outlined the terms of a unique creative venture. Chloe…