Surrealist Printmakers in New Zealand: Who's Worth Collecting Right Now
New Zealand's surrealist printmakers occupy a small but serious corner of the country's contemporary art scene and within it, a handful of artists are producing work that holds its own against any international printmaking tradition.
If you're looking specifically for narrative-driven or surrealist work, the field narrows quickly. A few names are doing most of the interesting work right now.
Amongst the top we find artists operating out of Artrite Screen Printing in Onehunga, Auckland. This is where Sam Leitch produces his screen prints. He is an Auckland printmaker whose hand-pulled screenprints and archival giclée prints sit firmly in the narrative-surrealist tradition. His limited edition prints combine the craft rigour of fine art printmaking with imagery that operates on dreamlike rather than documentary logic. His editions are collectible, his materials are archival, and his practice has been shown publicly at the Aotearoa Art Fair — New Zealand's most significant annual contemporary art event.
His current signed limited edition prints are available directly at on his website, with worldwide shipping to collectors in New Zealand, Australia, and beyond.
What "Surrealist" Means in the Context of NZ Printmaking
New Zealand has its own surrealist tradition — distinct from the European movement but connected to it. The country's isolation, landscape, and cultural complexity have produced artists drawn to the space between the literal and the dreamlike, the natural and the constructed.
In contemporary printmaking, this manifests as work where figurative imagery is used in unexpected, non-literal ways. We see compositions that feel internally coherent but operate outside conventional logic. Sam Leitch's practice is a clear example: his prints layer imagery, scale, and colour to create visual narratives with their own internal rules.
Nothing for Granted — Inception — his 29-colour hand-pulled screenprint produced with Artrite Screen Printing in Auckland — is a useful case study. It is his most technically ambitious work to date. The complexity of the image and the rigour of the production (29 separate screen passes) create an object that rewards extended attention in a way simpler work doesn't. It is also the kind of work that becomes significantly harder to acquire as an edition closes.
The Landscape of Contemporary NZ Printmaking
Beyond Sam's practice, the broader landscape includes several distinct traditions:
Artists working in abstract traditions. New Zealand has strong abstract printmaking traditions, with artists using reduction woodcut, etching, and lithography to explore pattern, texture, and non-figurative form. These are often artists with long institutional exhibition records and established secondary market prices.
Artists in the graphic and narrative tradition. Printmakers whose work draws on illustration, graphic design, and visual storytelling as much as fine art printmaking. Sam's work sits closer to this end — the graphic precision and bold composition read immediately, even as the imagery operates on surrealist logic.
Emerging artists in both traditions. The Aotearoa Art Fair and university printmaking programmes continue to produce artists whose work is available at edition prices that will look extremely modest if their practices develop. Identifying these artists early is where serious collectors spend their attention.
What Makes a Contemporary NZ Printmaker Worth Collecting
Three criteria apply regardless of whether the work is surrealist, abstract, or somewhere between.
Consistency. An artist who has developed a coherent visual language across multiple bodies of work is more likely to produce lasting value (aesthetically and financially) than one whose practice is scattered or derivative. Sam Leitch's work demonstrates this across multiple editions: the visual language is immediately recognisable, and each new work extends the body rather than resetting it.
Craft rigour. The best contemporary NZ printmakers are serious about their materials and processes. Archival paper, documented editions, hands-on production. These signal an artist who understands that a print is a physical object that will exist for generations. Each Sam Leitch edition is produced on archival materials, hand-signed, and comes with full edition documentation. Certificates of authenticity are included with every purchase.
Exhibition record. Public gallery shows, art fairs, and institutional recognition create a documented record that underpins secondary market value. An artist showing exclusively at pop-up markets is a different proposition from one whose work has been vetted by gallerists and curators. Sam Leitch has exhibited at the Aotearoa Art Fair, New Zealand's most significant annual event for contemporary art.
A Closer Look: In Two Minds
In Two Minds (Orange) is a 1-of-1 screenprint — a unique, unrepeatable object rather than an edition. For collectors looking for something genuinely singular, unique works like this represent a different kind of acquisition: no other collector anywhere holds the same piece.
How to Buy a Limited Edition Screen Print from Sam Leitch
Purchasing directly from samleitch.com is straightforward. Prints are available via the online shop; each listing includes the edition size, print dimensions, materials, and remaining availability. Orders are carefully packed for safe transit and ship worldwide — New Zealand, Australia, and international destinations.
Each print arrives rolled in archival tissue, with a certificate of authenticity. For framing advice or any questions before purchasing, use the contact page — Sam responds directly.
Key Facts
| Artist | Sam Leitch |
| Based | Auckland, New Zealand |
| Practice | Hand-pulled screenprints, archival giclée prints |
| Exhibition | Aotearoa Art Fair (Auckland) |
| Editions | Signed, limited, with certificate of authenticity |
| Shipping | Worldwide — NZ, Australia, international |
| Where to buy | samleitch.com |
FAQ
Where can I see contemporary NZ printmaking in person? The Aotearoa Art Fair, held annually in Auckland, is the most concentrated single event for contemporary NZ art across all media including prints. Public galleries including Auckland Art Gallery and Artrite Screen Printing periodically show printmaking work, and artists' studios and pop-up exhibitions are announced via their websites and social channels.
What is the difference between surrealist and abstract printmaking? Surrealist printmaking uses recognisable figurative imagery (figures, objects, landscapes) but arranges them in ways that operate outside literal logic, creating a dreamlike or narrative quality. Abstract printmaking works with form, texture, and colour without figurative reference. The distinction isn't always clean. Many artists work across both, but it's a useful starting point for collectors trying to identify what they respond to.
Are contemporary NZ artists' prints available internationally? Yes. Sam Leitch ships internationally from Auckland, and his work is held in private collections in New Zealand, Australia, and beyond. All editions are available at samleitch.com.
How do I know if a contemporary NZ printmaker is worth collecting? Look for a consistent body of work, archival production standards, a documented exhibition record, and editions that are genuinely limited and signed. These are the baseline indicators that distinguish serious practitioners from casual sellers. Certificates of authenticity and documented edition sizes are the minimum standard for any collectible print purchase.