Party General Secretary and President Tô Lâm and New Zealand Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro visited an exhibition featuring works by renowned Māori photographer Fiona Pardington. — VNA/VNS Photos

AUCKLAND — General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam (CPV) Central Committee and President Tô Lâm, and New Zealand Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro visited an exhibition featuring works by renowned Māori photographer Fiona Pardington in Auckland on Thursday, as part of the former’s state visit to New Zealand.

At the Starkwhite contemporary art gallery, the two leaders were introduced to some of Pardington’s notable works. The artist is one of New Zealand’s influential contemporary photographers, with more than three decades of artistic activity.

General Secretary and President Lâm expressed his appreciation for the artworks’ artistic, cultural and historical values, and praised the role of contemporary art in preserving, revitalising and promoting New Zealand’s heritage, cultural identity and nature.

He emphasised that culture and the arts serve as an important bridge for people of different countries to enhance mutual understanding, share values and strengthen bonds, he stressed, noting that Việt Nam and New Zealand have considerable potential for stronger cultural and artistic exchanges and cooperation, contributing to consolidating the social foundation and people-to-people ties within their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Pardington’s works explore themes related to New Zealand’s culture, history, nature and people, featuring Māori cultural artefacts, museum specimens and native birds, including extinct and endangered species. Through her distinctive use of photography, particularly light and dark backgrounds, her works highlight the value of cultural and natural heritage while conveying messages about the importance of conservation.

She has received numerous prestigious awards and honours and represented New Zealand at the 2026 Venice Biennale.

The joint visit by the Vietnamese and New Zealand leaders to the exhibition was a meaningful cultural exchange, helping deepen the understanding of New Zealand’s culture, history and people while underscoring the two sides’ attention to cultural and artistic exchanges and people-to-people connections as important foundations of the Việt Nam-New Zealand friendship. — VNA/VNS