Peter Deckers artist, organiser, artistic director, lecturer
MTS (Vakschool Schoonhoven), MFA (Hons) (Elam, Auckland University), DipTeach (NL&NZ). Peter studied jewellery making and fine art in both the Netherlands and New Zealand. He is active in his practice, making work for national and international exhibitions, and instigating opportunities for the wider jewellery art community.
Peter is both a contemporary artist and a craftsperson. Ideas that make distinctive connections with jewellery are the inspiration for his practice, which is highlighted through a series of engaging artworks with inspiring topics (see below). He is interested in how value is perceived and how that is communicated through objects we appreciate and wear. Peter exhibits throughout New Zealand. His work is in various national and international private and public collections. His work, philosophy, and ideas have been addressed in numerous publications.
Peter is active in the arts community, known as both a maker and an advocate. He founded MAKERS 101 (M101), an organisation that has initiated and managed projects like the HANDSHAKE project and Aotearoa Jewellery Triennial. The HANDSHAKE project, funded by Creative New Zealand, supports emerging New Zealand jewellery artists through exhibitions and development opportunities, while the Triennial provides opportunities for curators’ visions.
Peter is dedicated to arts education and believes in the unique artistic potential of each student participant, whether they are creators or appreciators. He supports the wider creative community and continues to contribute with projects like the Jewellery Triennial and other sector opportuneties. His passion for jewellery and the arts is evident in how he turns ideas, projects, and teachings into meaningful experiences for many.
galleries (selected):
Fingers (gallery )
AVID (gallery)
The National (gallery)
installations (selected):
Four Corners (Dowse Museum, 2021)
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 (Pataka 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 (Pataka 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)
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:
Museum of New Zealand
Te Papa Tongarewa
Art Gallery of South Australia
Artist Statement:
My artistic journey resists easy definition, embracing a ‘no-style style’ that thrives in the dynamic interplay of material experimentation, conceptual discovery, and personal perspective.
Each project and creation emerges as an intricate dialogue—between the tangible and intangible, the known and the unexplored. I navigate the unfamiliar, transforming raw materials into evocative expressions, where serendipitous moments of creation become gateways to deeper truths.
Driven by curiosity and a profound respect for the act of making, my work is both a response to and a reflection of the world around me. Themes of origins, perception, environment, and conflict act as guiding threads, shaping pieces that challenge, question, and inspire. Through the alchemy of ideas and techniques, I embrace complexity and uncertainty, uncovering stories in the unexpected and meaning in the moment.
This practice is more than craftsmanship; it is a statement—an evolving exploration of freedom, respect, and the human experience. With each piece, I aim to challenge perceptions, spark dialogue, and forge connections that push the boundaries of jewellery artistry and material innovation.
There is something profound in navigating and uncovering the essence of these complex interplays, transforming them into meaningful expressions that resonate beyond words. My work is both an exploration and a form of communication, weaving together layers of thought, material, and emotion that thrive in complexity and spontaneity.