Biography

After graduating from Ilam School of Art in 1988 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, Jenna Packer went on to complete a Bachelor of Arts Honours in History at the University of Canterbury. Through the 1990’s she lived in the UK and Morocco, and for several years in France. She spent time at the Glasgow Print Workshop, The Slade School of Art (London) and La Rouelle Studio (France). Jenna Packer is a full time artist, now living in Waitati, Otago, and has been exhibiting her work since 1990 both within New Zealand and abroad. She has been involved in several artist research trips and projects, including Paradise Lost, with Solander Gallery in 2018, which saw work touring New Zealand, Australia, Sweden and Iceland, and Wai- The Water Project, with Ashburton Art Gallery in which toured the country in 2018/2019. Packer frequently engages in discussion and presentations of her work in Climate and Environmental forums, having an active interest in social history and the politics of climate change. Her work is held in private collections in Aotearoa New Zealand, Australia, Japan, China, United Kingdom, Canada, France and Italy.

Jenna Packer in her studio by Alan Dove

CONTACT Jenna Packer email // scribeandscrim@gmail.com

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2025 / 15 July, PG Gallery 192, Christchurch

2025 / Toro, Ashburton Art Gallery, NZ

2024 / Giltwood, Milford Galleries Queenstown, NZ

2023 / Stained Glass Window Commission, All Saints Church, Dunedin

2022 / Tract, Milford Galleries Dunedin, NZ

2021 / Utopiaroa, Milford Galleries Dunedin

2017 / Art of the Deal, Milford Galleries Dunedin

2015-16 / Unsettled; Making/Seeking Shelter, Tivoli, Waiheke Island

2015 / South Seas Idol, Milford Galleries Dunedin

2014 / State of Grace, Jonathan Grant Gallery, Auckland

2013 / States of Emergency, Milford Galleries Dunedin

2012 / Anchored, Milford Galleries Dunedin

2010 / Provisioning, Milford Galleries Dunedin

2009 / A History of Flight, Milford Galleries Dunedin

2008 / Plant, Gallery on Blueskin, Waitati

2007/ The Island, Solander, Wellington

2006 / The Island, Milnes Court Gallery, Port Chalmers, NZ

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2024 / Terrain, Milford Galleries Queenstown Studio 18D,

2024 / Terrain, Milford Galleries Dunedin

2024 / Coast, PG Gallery 192, Christchurch

2022 / Paradise Lost, Centre of Cultural and Fine Art Hafnarborg, Iceland

2022 / Toitū Te Whenua, Aratoi Museum, Masterton,NZ

2022 / 23 / Summer Show, Studio 18D, Milford Galleries Dunedin

2022 / Studio 18D, Milford Galleries Dunedin

2020 / Paradise Lost, Canberra, Sydney Australia

2021 / The Arrow, Milford Galleries Queenstown

2020 / Show and Tell, Milford Galleries Dunedin

2020 / The Earl Street Journal, Milford Galleries Queenstown

2020 / Flora, Milford Galleries Dunedin

2019 / Paradise Lost, Pitea Museum, Sweden

2019 / Paradise Lost, Solander Gallery, Wellington Christchurch

2019 / The Water Project, Canterbury Museum, Christchurch

2019 / He Manawa Whenua: He Puna Wai, WATER\WAY, Aratoi Museum, Masterton

2019 / Wai Water Wanaka, Festival of Colour, Wanaka,

2019 / New Works, Milford Galleries Queenstown

The Royal Queenstown Easter Show, Milford Galleries Queenstown

Show & Tell, Milford Galleries Dunedin

2018 / Water Project, Ashburton Art Gallery, Ashburton,

2017/ 18 / Wunderkammer, Milford Galleries Dunedin

2017 / Small Works, Milford Galleries Dunedin

2017 / Te Waipounamu, Milford Galleries Queenstown

2017 / Anything Could Happen, Yu Gallery, Yu Yuan, Shanghai, China

2017 / JW Smeaton Summer Exhibition, Otago Art Society, Dunedin

2017 / Navigators, Milford Galleries Queenstown

2016 / 17 / Aurora, Milford Galleries Dunedin, NZ

2016 / New Compendium, Milford Galleries Dunedin

2016 / 47° South Rakiura: Five Artists in Stewart Island, PG Gallery 192, Chch

2016 / The Wakatipu Chronicle, Milford Galleries Queenstown

2016 / The Review, Milford Galleries Queenstown

2016 / Show and Tell, Milford Galleries Dunedin

2016 / 47° South Rakiura: Five Artists in Stewart Island, Oban, Stewart Island,

2015- / 16 / Aurora, Milford Galleries Dunedin, Small & Key, Milford Galleries

2015 / Art at Carrick, Carrick Winery, Central Otago

2015 / Winter Exhibition, Jonathan Grant Gallery, Auckland

2015 / Small and Key, Milford Galleries Dunedin

2015 / Spring Catalogue, Milford Galleries Queenstown,

2015 / Summer Show, Milford Galleries Dunedin

2014 / Significant Works, Milford Galleries Dunedin

2013-14 / The Earl Street Journal, Milford Galleries Queenstown

2014 / Summer Show, Milford Galleries Dunedin

2013 / The Review, Milford Galleries Queenstown

2013 / New Works, Milford Galleries Dunedin

2013 / The Royal Queenstown Easter Show, Milford Galleries Queenstown

2012-13 Summer Show, Milford Galleries Dunedin

The Earl Street Journal, Milford Galleries Queenstown,

2012 / The Surreal, Milford Galleries Dunedin

2011 / /12 Summer Show, Milford Galleries Dunedin

2011 / The Royal Queenstown Easter Show, Milford Galleries Queenstown

2010 / Winter Show, Milford Galleries Queenstown

2009 / Southern Landscape, Milford Galleries Queenstown

2008 / Etched in Memory, PaperGraphica, Christchurch

2008 / Opening, Gallery on Blueskin, Waitati

2007 / The Paper Show, The Artists’ Room, Dunedin

Spring Exhibition, Anderson’s Park Art Gallery, Invercargill

2007 / The Knowne Worlde Illuminated, Salisbury House Art Gallery, Dunedin,

2007 / Impressed Atatoi, Wairarapa Museum of Art and History, Masterton

2006 / 10 / The Print-makers’ Studio, Dunedin, NZ

1997 / Féte de Papier, Maison de Josianne, Génolac, France

1995 / Three Printmakers, Salamander Gallery, Christchurch

Fishing for Camels in the Bush, Arthouse Gallery, Dunedin

1994 / Exposure II (Invited Dunedin Artists), Applied Art New Zealand, ChCh

1994 / Nakhodka / Dunedin / Otaru, Sister Cities Art Exhibition, Otaru, Japan

1990 / Five Printmakers, Left Bank Art Gallery, Greymouth,

1990 / NZ Women Show, Arthouse Gallery, Dunedin

1990 / Printmakers Exhibition, Aigantigue Art Gallery, Timaru

1990 / Prints: Jenna Packer and Neave Fraser-Davies, CSA Gallery, Chch

EDUCATION

1996 / La Rouelle Studio (printmaking) (3 months), France

1997 / The Slade School of Art (Fresco), London, UK

1992 / Glasgow Print Workshop (Printmaking), Glasgow, Scotland

1989 / BA (History) (First-Class Honours), University of Canterbury, Chch

1988 / Bachelor Fine Arts, Ilam School of Art, Chch, NZ