Contemporary New Zealand art underwent a transformation during the1980s with the 'arrival' of post-modernism. Broadly speaking, post-modernism was about new ways of thinking about art and culture: ways of thinking that questioned long-established patterns and hierarchies. Post-modernism had a far-reaching effect on artists, especially the younger generation, who found it liberating. This is the background against which much of the art presented in this topic was produced.

In this section you will find a range of images by contemporary New Zealand artists who were influenced directly by post-modern and post-colonial thought during the 1980s and early 1990s.