The National has been at the forefront of the contemporary art scene in Christchurch for over a decade. Recently celebrating its 10th birthday, the dealer gallery specialises in jewellery and objects by New Zealand and selected international artists. While jewellery has always been at the heart of the business, The National also showcases sculptural ceramics, glass and object based works.

The gallery’s imaginative exhibition programme changes monthly. Primarily a platform for solo jewellery exhibitions, carefully curated group and cross media exhibitions and collaborations also feature. The focus is on supporting artists to create new bodies of work and engaging new audiences. The pieces are often tactile and visitors are encouraged to touch or try on.

Founded by Caroline Billing, The National first opened its doors in 2004 in High Street and has existed in a number of iterations since. After the gallery was destroyed in the 2011 earthquake, Caroline remained dedicated to providing opportunities for artists to show and the Christchurch public to view and learn about art. This meant exploring innovative alternatives to the traditional gallery format. One memorable urban post-quake pop-up project was “Host a Brooch” in collaboration with jeweller Jackie Chan.

Happily the gallery has found a permanent home on Moorhouse Ave. Fittingly the space is a couple of doors down from Chambers 241 and Ronald Mottram Framers. The vast gallery space complete with polished concrete floors is minimalistic, highlighting the pieces on display.