Peter Deckers artist, organiser, artistic director, lecturer
MTS (Vakschool Schoonhoven), MFA (Hons) (Elam, Auckland University), DipTeach (NL&NZ).
Born in the Netherlands, Peter immigrated to Aotearoa New Zealand in 1985, bringing with him a deep curiosity about jewellery as an art form.
His practice is driven by an ongoing interrogation of material, meaning, and value, exploring the intersections of science, politics, economics, and human experience. Through experimentation and intuitive making, he challenges conventions and uncovers new possibilities within contemporary jewellery.
Peter trained at MTS Vakschool Schoonhoven, pursued further studies at the Rotterdam Fine Arts Academy, and completed his master’s degree at Elam School of Fine Arts in Auckland. Rooted in discovery, poetry, and mystery, his work embraces a Renaissance approach to both making and thinking, navigating the complexities of a shifting society.
Alongside his independent practice, Peter actively fosters knowledge‑sharing and sector development. He
founded MAKERS 101 (M101) as a platform for creative exchange and has been instrumental in collaborative initiatives such as the Handshake Project, Aotearoa Jewellery Triennial, UPSKILL programmes, masterclasses, and national and international exhibitions that strengthen contemporary jewellery in New Zealand.
A committed educator and mentor, Peter has invested deeply in arts education and professional development. Peter continuously shapes opportunities for makers and audiences alike. His belief in each participant’s artistic potential—whether as creators or appreciators— shapes his approach to teaching, mentoring, and art development. Through these efforts, he encourages dialogue, innovation, and new ways of thinking about jewellery beyond traditional frameworks.
Exhibition Work & Context:
“Guided by curiosity and a passion for making, my work explores material transformations and the shifting world they inhabit. Various topics of interest shape pieces that challenge, question, and inspire. I embrace complexity and uncertainty by fusing ideas and techniques, uncovering stories in unexpected places, and finding meaning in the moment”.
Exhibitions as Installations (selected):
Artificial Universe (the National 2025)
Four Corners- Dusty Blends from the Square World (The National, 2022)
Four Corners (Dowse Museum, 2022)
Cyclic Solitaire (the See Here, 2015)
Deflating Standard (Avid Gallery, 2015)
Dove Poo (See Here, 2014)
DeepRooted (See Here, 2014)
de: Formation (See Here, 2013)
Give & Take (See Here, 2011)
The Pleasure BEAST: in Moving TARGETS (Masterworks, 2010)
Far Sight (Objectspace, 2007)
Customised (retrospective 1985-2005) (Pātaka Museum, 2005)
Mourning Jewellery from the Chornobyl collection (Sherman Gallery, 2006)
Greetings from Māori-Land (Auckland University, 2004, Lobdell House, 2004, Whirinaki, 2005)
Acoustic Tile (Pātaka Museum, 2004)
The Great Known to Man series: the Shut-Up version (Pataka Museum, 2003)
The Reproduction Guild (Craft Victoria, 2001; Te Manawa Museum, 2004)
Now Then Who Owns What?! (Dowse Museum, 2000; Govett Brewster Art Gallery, 2001)
Galleries (selected):
Fingers (gallery )
The National (gallery)
Interviews (selected):
Peter Deckers (AJF interview)
Isolation and Global Sameness (about critique, KLIMT02 interview)
Deflating Standard (AJF interview)
Publications (selected):
Object Power: a multi-faceted exploration (essay)
Contemporary Jewellery in Context (publication)
How Original is ORIGINAL (exhibition essay)
WUNDERRŪMA: the Auckland version (exhibition review)
Show it ALL (article)
Handshake 3: Connecting Practices (article for Overview #26)
Two Worlds (article, Craft NZ #45,1993)
Radio/audio (selected):
Looking after each other (Urban Dream, podcast2)
INFOpulp (soundbite composition for the Reproduction Guild, 2001)
NZ jewellers and the HS project (RNZ Standing Room interview, 2019)
Public collections (selected):
Museum of New Zealand
Te Papa Tongarewa
Artist Statement:
Jewellery speaks in layers — the silent weight of history, the whispered truths of symbolism, and the constructed rhetoric of value. My work finds its voice in these intersections, tracing the shifting dialogue between Origins, Perception, Environment, and Conflict.
I pull apart the materials we hold dear — natural and man‑made — to ask how value is formed, shaped, and trusted. This inquiry follows the threads of science, economic forces, political power, and emotion, revealing how meaning is woven into the objects we cherish or discard.
At its core, my practice is a negotiation between ideas and materials, a cycle of questioning and transformation. Experimentation and the unexpected fuel the process, where moments of chance open new possibilities.
Beyond adornment, beyond convention, my work moves between intuition and inquiry, probing the depths of human experience to reimagine how we see, name, and hold value.