Ans Westra: Jeetjee: The Dowse Art Museum

9 May - 18 October 2026

Jeetje [pronounced YAY-chuh] is a Dutch expression of surprise and, in this case, delight. It sets the tone for this selection of works drawn from Ans Westra's archive. Plucked from the first 60,000 negatives digitised from her vast archive, they span from the 1960s to the 1980s. These photographs are funny, tender and poignant.

Ans Westra (1936 – 2023) is one of Aotearoa New Zealand's most significant documentary photographers. Known for her extensive documentation of life in Aotearoa, her practice is not without its own complexities. Jeetje is an invitation to re-examine Westra’s works — to find contemporary parallels in sometimes the most unexpected places.

Sifting through thousands of images in the archive, certain photographs rose to the surface — not for their historical heft but for their relatability. From poetry readings in graveyards to spirited protests in the streets, from competitive dog shows to karate kids skating around the Hutt, these are scenes that feel like they could have been taken yesterday.

The Dowse has had a longstanding and close relationship with Ans Westra. From staging her first retrospective in 1972 to hosting her as an artist in residence in the late 1980s, we have continued to show and collect her work. Jeetje is an extension of that relationship, while revealing another side to Westra’s practice that has seldom been seen by the public.

Text from Dowse website.

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