About
Max Gimblett is a painter, calligrapher, and Rinzai Zen monk. His work, a harmonious postwar synthesis of American and Japanese art, brings together abstract expressionism, modernism, spiritual abstraction, and Asian calligraphy.
Bio
1935
Born, Auckland, New Zealand
1956-1957, 1959-1961
Traveled in Europe
1962-1964
Worked as a potter, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
1964
Studied drawing, Ontario College of Art, Toronto
Married Barbara Kirshenblatt
1965
Studied painting, San Francisco Art Institute, California
1967-1970
Lives and paints in Bloomington, Indiana
1970-1972
Lives and paints in Austin, Texas
1972
Moves to New York City
Visits New Zealand
1974
Meets Len Lye
1977
Begins yearly visits to New Zealand
1979
Becomes dual American and New Zealand Citizen
1983-2011
Studies psychology at the C.G. Jung Foundation, New York
1983-1984
Traveled to Japan, India and Kenya
1989
National Endowment for the Arts, Washington D.C., Painting Fellowship
Founded Jade Studio, New York and Auckland (with Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett)
1990
Appointed Trustee of the Len Lye Foundation, New Plymouth, New Zealand
1991
Residency, The Rockefeller Foundation, Study and Conference Center, Bellagio, Lake Como, Italy
1991-1992
J. Paul Getty Associate, the Getty Center for the History of Art and the Humanities, Santa Monica
1991
Traveled to India and Japan
1992
Inaugural Artist in Residence, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane
1996
Traveled to Jerusalem, Israel
1997
Traveled to Cambodia and Burma
2001
Appointed Special Patron of the Queensland Art Gallery Foundation, Brisbane, Australia
2002
First monograph written by John Yau and Wystan Curnow published by Craig Potton Publishing in association with Gow Langsford Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand
Residency with Lewis Hyde, Anderson Ranch Art Center, Snowmass Village, Colorado, Oxherding Project
2003
Traveled to Mexico
2004
Artist in residence Auckland University, Elam School of Fine Art
2005
The Brush of All Things, a thirty-three minute film made by the Auckland Art Gallery and directed by Roger Taberner
2006
Appointed to the honorary position of Inaugural Visiting Professor to the National Institute of
Creative Arts and Industries, Auckland University, Auckland, New Zealand
Took Refuge in the Buddha’s Precepts at the San Francisco Zen Center
2007
Monotype Project, Smith Anderson Editions, Palo Alto, CA
2008
Gow Langsford Gallery publishes screenprints
Laila Foundation Artist in Residence at HuiPress, HuiPress, Maui, HI
2009
Augusta Award, Auckland Grammar, Auckland, NZ
2010
Appointed Inaugural Special Artist Patron, Christchurch Art Gallery, Christchurch, New Zealand
2011
Appointed Benefactor of Auckland Art Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand
Old Boy of the Year Award. King’s School, Auckland, New Zealand
2015
Appointed Officer of New Zealand Order of Merit, Queen’s Birthday Honors
2017
Honorary Doctorate bestowed by The University of Waikato for contributions as an artist, scholar, teacher and philanthropist
2019
Honorary Doctorate bestowed by Auckland University of Technology for outstanding and sustained contribution to the advancement of the arts in New Zealand
2020
The Disappearing Ox, with Lewis Hyde, is published by Copper Canyon Press
2022-2024
Max Gimblett’s Archive of Artist’s Books joins Getty Research Institute Collection
2024
Lives and works in New York
Gimblett is represented in the collections of the Guggenheim, the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of Art, the National Gallery of Art (Washington, D.C.), the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, the Auckland Art Gallery Toi O Tamaki, Auckland, the Queensland Art Gallery, Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane, and the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney.
Gimblett is represented by:
Gow Langsford Gallery, Auckland
Hosfelt Gallery, San Francisco
Bienvenu Steinberg & J, New York
Page Gallery, Wellington
NMG, Arrowtown & Christchurch
Selected Recent Solo and
Two-Person Exhibitions
2026
Hosfelt Gallery, San Francisco. Forthcoming
2025
Gow Langsford Gallery, Onehunga. “The Open Door”
2024
Bienvenu Steinberg & C, New York. “The Alchemist”
Gow Langsford Gallery, Auckalnd City. “Hands o f Gold”
Page Gallery, Wellington. “Where Light Lies”
2023
Hosfelt Gallery, San Francisco. “The Beginning of Time”
Gow Langsford Gallery, Auckland. “Serenity”
Nadene Milne Gallery, Christchurch. “Big Mind”
Page Gallery, Wellington. “Across the River”
2022
Page Gallery, Wellington. "The Legend of the Ceramic Master"
Gow Langsford Gallery, Auckland. "The Open Road"
2021
Gow Langsford Gallery, Auckland. "The Path of Light"
Nadene Milne Gallery, Arrowtown and Christchurch. "The Magical Kingdom"
Page Gallery, Wellington. "The Sun Also Rises"
2020
Hosfelt Gallery, San Francisco. "juggernaut"
Christchurch Art Gallery, Christchurch. "Ocean Wheel"
Page Gallery, Wellington. "Leaves of Grass"
2019
Gow Langsford Gallery, Auckland. "Many Worlds"
Nadene Milne Gallery, Arrowtown & Christchurch. "Asia and the Pacific"
Page Blackie Gallery, Wellington. "Creation"
Page Blackie Gallery, Wellington. "The Window"
2018
Gow Langsford Gallery, Auckland. "Sunset Moon"
2017
Nadene Milne Gallery, Arrowtown. “The River”
Page Blackie Gallery, Wellington. “The Garden of Delights”
Auckland War Memorial Museum, Auckland, New Zealand. “The Art of Remembrance”
2016
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington. “The Art of Remembrance”
Gow Langsford Gallery, Auckland. “One Day in the Afternoon of the Gods”
Page Blackie Gallery, Wellington. “50 Years of Drawing”
Nadene Milne Gallery, Arrowtown. "New Paintings"
Tauranga Art Gallery, Tauranga, New Zealand. “ The Universe: Max Gimblett”
2015
St. David’s Church, Auckland. “The Art of Remembrance”
Gow Langsford Gallery, Auckland. “Sea of Dragons”
Page Blackie Gallery, Wellington. “The Rising Sun”
Nadene Milne Gallery, Arrowtown. “Paradise Valley”
2014
Kashya Hildebrand, London. “Love Conquers All”
Gow Langsford Gallery, Auckland. “The Gold Thread”
Waikato University, Hamilton, New Zealand.
Nadene Milne Gallery, Arrowtown. “Heavenly Creatures”
The Village Zendo, New York. “boundless way”
2013
Page Blackie Gallery, Wellington. “On A Clear Day”
Nadene Milne Gallery, Arrowtown. “All That Is”
2012
Gary Snyder Gallery, New York. “Max Gimblett—The Holy Grail”
Gow Langsford Gallery, Auckland. “Ballad of the South Pacific”
Gow Langsford Gallery, Auckland. "Max Gimblett—New Works on Paper"
Nadene Milne Gallery, Arrowtown. "Max Gimblett—New York, New York"
Nadene Milne Gallery, Arrowtown. “Damien Hirst / Max Gimblett—The Beauty and Brutality of Fact”
2011
Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh. “The Word of God” curated by Eric Shiner
Kenyon College, Kenyon, Ohio. “Oxherding - in collaboration with Lewis Hyde”
Gow Langsford Gallery, Auckland. “The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze” (catalog)
Page Blackie Gallery, Wellington. “on the shores of infinity”
Nadene Milne Gallery, Arrowtown. “Perfect Mirror”
2010
Japan Society, New York. “Oxherding—in collaboration with Lewis Hyde”
ICA, Maine College of Art, Portland, ME. “Animal Speaking—a collaboration with Lewis Hyde”
Saatchi & Saatchi, New York. “Graceland” (catalog)
Nadene Milne Gallery, Arrowtown. “Pacific Shrine” (catalog)
2009
Haines Gallery, San Francisco. “The Night Sun”
Gow Langsford Gallery, Auckland. “full fathom five”
Page Blackie Gallery, Wellington. “white stone clear water”
Selected Recent Group Exhibitions
2025
Hosfelt Gallery, San Francisco. “Drawn to Drawing”
2023
Bienvenu Steinberg & J, New York. “Looks Good: On Paper”
Bienvenu Steinberg & J, New York. “KIAF 2023” (Art Fair, Seoul, Korea)
2022
Page Gallery, Wellington. “Alphabet Soup: The Finest Stock”
2021
Hosfelt Gallery, San Francisco. “Where we are”
Zurcher, New York. "On the Bowery" (Catalogue)
Gow Langsford Gallery, Auckland. “TENT”
Gow Langsford Gallery, Auckland. “Threshold”
2020
The Catherine Fosnot Art Gallery and Center, New London, CT. “On Display” (Catalogue)
Gow Langsford Gallery, Auckland. “Auckland Art Fair—Virtual Fair
Nadene Milne Gallery, Christchurch. “Collecting Contemporary”
Page Gallery, Wellington. “After Nature”
2019
Hosfelt Gallery, San Francisco. “Between Them: An Installation Composed of Drawings”
Gow Langsford Gallery, Auckland. “Lolly Scramble”
Gow Langsford Gallery, Auckland “Almost Blue”
Gow Langsford Gallery, Auckland. “New Works”
Gow Langsford Gallery, Auckland. “Max Gimblett x 30 Madden”
Page Blackie Gallery, Wellington. “Beyond Kāpene Kuku / Captain Cook
Page Blackie Gallery, Wellington. “Summer Group Exhibition”
2018
Jason McCoy Gallery, New York. "Artist Books by Edizioni Canopo"
Christchurch Art Gallery, Christchurch. “Untitled #1050”
Tairawhiti Museum, Gisborne, New Zealand. "The 80s Show"
2017
Christchurch Art Gallery, Christchurch. “Yellow Moon: He Marama Kōwhai”
Gow Langsford Gallery, Auckland. "Celebrating 30 Years"
Nadene Milne Gallery, Christchurch. "Pacific Rim: Abstraction from the South Pacific"
Central Booking, New York City. "Icons in Ash: Death in Art". Curated by Heide Hatry & Maddy Rosenberg
Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA. “Unique and Multiple: Selections from Smith
Andersen Editions, the Legacy of Paula Z. Kirkeby.
2016
Gow Langsford Gallery, Christchurch. "Just Another F***ing Art Gallery"
Columbia University Rare Books & Manuscript Library, New York. “The Book Undone: Thirty Years of Granary Books”
Page Blackie Gallery, Wellington. “Auckland Art Fair”
2015
Auckland Art Gallery, Auckland. “Wunderrūma: New Zealand Jewellery”
Columbia Rare book & Manuscript Library, New York. Granary Books: The Book Undone: Thirty Years of Granary Books
Melanie Roger Gallery, Auckland. “Max Gimblett, Gavin Hurley, Martin Poppelwell & Emily Wolfe—Group Show”
Gow Langsford Gallery, Auckland. “Artist Catalogue”
New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care, New York. “2015 Annual Gala”
2014
Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna O Waiwhetu, Christchurch, New Zealand. “Dark Arts: Twenty Years of the Holloway Press”
Kashya Hildebrand, Seoul. “Korea International Art Fair”
Kashya Hildebrand, Miami. “Scope Miami”
Kashya Hildebrand, Abu Dhabi. “Abu Dhabi Art”
Kashya Hildebrand, Istanbul. “CI Contemporary Istanbul”
Gow Langsford Gallery, Auckland. “Spring Catalogue”
2013
Gow Langsford Gallery, Christchurch. W.T Macalister’s Auction house. “Group Show”
Gow Langsford Gallery, Auckland. “2013 Catalog Exhibition”
2012
Gary Snyder Gallery, Miami Project, Miami Beach, Florida.
Dalhousle Art Gallery, Halifax, Nova Scotia. "Unbound: An Exhibition in three chapters,"curated by Heide Hatry.
The Atlantic Conference, Brooklyn, New York. "The Final Frontier," organized by Matt Jones.
Page Blackie Gallery, Wellington. "Editions"
Jacks Point, Queenstown, New Zealand. "Group Exhibition"
2011
80 WSE, New York, NY. "80 WSE Presents" curated by Peter Campus, Michael Cohen, Edward Holland, and Hugh O'Rourke.
Auckland Art Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand. "Permanent Collection"
Pierre Menard Gallery, Cambridge, MA. “One Of A Kind - an exhibition of unique artist’s books" curated by Heide Hatry (catalog)
Gow Langsford Gallery. “The Green Bicycle” (book launch)
Gow Langsford Gallery. “Spring Catalog 2011” (catalog)
2010
The Drawing Center, New York. “Drawing Gifts - 7th Annual Benefit Auction”
Center for Book Arts, New York. “Poems & Pictures, A Renaissance in the Art of the Book (1946-1981),” curated by Kyle Schlesinger
John Leech Gallery, Auckland. “New Zealand Masters: Cotton, Goldie, Gimblett, Walters, Hotere, Woollaston, Frizzell, Angus and Wero Taroi”
Gow Langsford Gallery, Auckland. “Spring Catalog Exhibition”
QUT Art Museum, Brisbane. “Zen to Kawaii: the Japanese affect”
The Suter, Nelson, New Zealand. “West East”
2009
Guggenheim Museum, New York. “The Third Mind: American Artists Contemplate Asia, 1860-1989,” curated by Alexandra Munroe (January 30-April 19)
Nadene Milne Gallery, Arrowtown. “The New Zealand Room”
Abridged CV
(