Kay George @ Bergman Gallery

For more than five decades, Kay George has documented the people, places and experiences that have shaped her life. In this new body of work, personal reflection is brought to the foreground through textile-based works that consider loss, memory, friendship and the enduring presence of those closest to us.

Created following the passing of her mother, the exhibition acknowledges grief not as an ending, but as part of a continuing relationship with the past. Alongside these reflections are celebrations of friendships that have sustained the artist across decades—women whose companionship, humour and support have become woven into the fabric of George’s everyday life.

Kay George, I Should Be So Lucky, 2026. Textile ink and acrylic paint on Belgian linen. 1970 × 1510mm. Courtesy the artist and Bergman Gallery.
Kay George, Believe, 2026. Textile ink and acrylic paint on Belgian linen. 1670 × 1150mm. Courtesy the artist and Bergman Gallery.

While moments of absence inform the exhibition, What Remains is ultimately a life-affirming presentation. George’s works continue her long-standing study of the rituals, gatherings, fashion and social connections that define Rarotongan community. Figures, fabrics, flowers and familiar motifs become markers of affection, remembrance and shared experience.

Warm, personal and deeply human, the exhibition reflects on the people who accompany us through life, those we lose, and those who remain. In doing so, it celebrates the resilience, generosity and quiet strength of women across generations.

KAY GEORGE
What Remains
19 October – 7 November 2026

BERGMAN GALLERY
Rarotonga

WORDS: SUPPLIED

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