About Kate
Kia ora, I’m Kate, a visual narrative designer. I make art and create stories.
In my time, I have been an educator, researcher, strategist, and designer in the academic and public sectors, where I formed teams and worked as part of inclusive, multi-person projects.
Now I make and exhibit art, write stories and collaborate on storytelling projects. My art mediums include ink, acrylic, water colour, gouache and lino print to create two-dimensional works. I also play with two-dimensional interactive art and three-dimensional soft sculpture using fabric, light and sound.
My most recent works include interactive illustrated story-telling and large canvas art.
Experience
Art Making & Exhibition Work 2019–2026
Art Maker and Gallery Membership
- The Suter Art Gallery, Nelson, NZ
- Left Bank Art Gallery, Greymouth, West Coast, NZ
- 118 Gallery, Westport, NZ
- “Everything Bagel” exhibition 2026 showcasing the 2025 MFA Visual Narrative Design selection of works. Exhibited at Thistle Hall, Wellington, New Zealand
- “ReFrame” exhibition 2025 Te Kura Hoahoa | School of Design Innovation Te Herenga Waka | Victoria University of Wellington
- The 2025 Paekakariki Art Community Exhibition
The Women’s Art Initiative (WAI) Collective — created to support women to explore their art practice, engage in shared resistance to harm, and provide social commentary through art narrative.
- WAI Exhibition 2024 — ‘Sacred Wisdom’. Exhibited at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
- WAI Exhibition 2022 — ‘Standing in my own light’. Exhibited at Te Manawa Art Gallery, Palmerston North, New Zealand
- WAI Exhibition 2019 — “Beyond Closed Doors”. Exhibited at Te Manawa Art Gallery, Palmerston North, New Zealand
Design 2005–2026
Visual Narrative Collaboration
- 2025–2026 — Te Matapihi Ki Te Ao Nui (Wellington Central Library) — Work alongside library staff to set up a project, gather insights and collaborate to create a story about relationships with the homeless.
Customer Insights Researcher
- 2022–2024 — Inland Revenue — Gather customer information for IRD linked to specific products to understand customer experience, map customer journeys, identify issues and opportunities, and ideate and design for service, policy and system improvement. This included horizon scans and “Ideal customer journeys”.
Innovation Strategist
- 2020–2022 — New Zealand’s Biological Heritage National Science Challenge (Manaaki Whenua, Landcare) — An executive role focused on enabling system-wide multi-party collaboration. This included strategic collaboration, community building, and transdisciplinary research innovation.
Curriculum and Education
- 2005–2008 — UCOL, EIT, IRCNZ — Freelance contract work focused on Teaching and Learning Best Practice, Student Experience and Curriculum Design.
Research & Teaching 1991–2020
Research and Business Development
- 2009–2020 — Massey University Research and Enterprise — Institution-wide support and development role. Strategic projects; Funding campaign management; Project management and development; Liaison and stakeholder engagement; Facilitation.
Academia (Teaching)
- 1991–2004 — Massey University, Department of Education / College of Education — Lecturing, tutoring, course coordination, course writing, and marking in Human Development; Early Childhood Development; Adolescence; Health Education.
Education
Fine Arts
Master of Fine Arts (with Distinction) in Visual Narrative Design
2026 | Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand
Design & Facilitation
Certificate — Group Facilitation Skills
2023 | Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand
Certificates — Human Centred Design; Designing Strategy; Design for Environmental Sustainability and Social Impact
2018–2022 | Acumen Academy IDEO, Design
Social Science
Master of Arts (with Honours) — Double Major in Education and Media Studies
2000 | Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
Bachelor of Arts — Double Major in Education and Social Anthropology
1991 | Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
