Fiona Pardington

Fiona Pardington MNZM (b. 1961, Auckland) is a prominent New Zealand photographer of Ngāi Tahu, Kāti Māmoe, Ngāti Kahungunu and Scottish descent. Known for her evocative still-life images and mastery of analogue darkroom techniques, Pardington’s work explores themes of memory, mortality, and cultural identity. She holds a Doctorate in Fine Arts from the University of Auckland and has been a leading figure in New Zealand photography for over three decades.

Her photographs often reference 17th-century vanitas traditions and honour taonga, museum objects, and extinct species like the huia. Pardington has exhibited internationally, including representing New Zealand at the 17th Biennale of Sydney, and her 2016 retrospective A Beautiful Hesitation toured major New Zealand institutions.

Pardington’s achievements include receiving the Arts Foundation Laureate Award (2011), being made a Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (2016), and a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit. Her work is held in collections such as Te Papa, Auckland Art Gallery, and the Musée du Quai Branly in Paris.