Remebering Ans Westra w/ Athol McCredie & David Alsop: 10 March, 2023

This week on Various Artists Frances and Liam take the time to remember the life and works of Ans Westra.

Self-taught, Ans spent long periods of time travelling around the country as a full-time freelance documentary photographer committed to observing and candidly documenting New Zealand life and culture. Ans was a pioneer of documentary photography, and one of the first women to work in this area in Aotearoa New Zealand.

In 1998 she was awarded the Companion of the Order of New Zealand Merit for services to photography. In 2007 she was made an Arts Foundation Icon, an honour bestowed to a living circle of 20 New Zealand artists for their extraordinary lifetime achievements. In 2015 she received an honorary doctorate from Massey University in recognition of her long-standing contribution to New Zealand’s visual culture.

To hear about her life and works Frances talked with Athol McCredie, Curator Photography at Te Papa and also with David Alsop, owner of Suite Gallery and lifelong agent and friend of Ans.

Whakarongo mai!