Marking Time: Creativity, Learning and Transformation Through Art

Now showing in the LAB Gallery until 19 June, Marking Time presents an inspiring collection of artwork created by TLC students studying Levels 4–6 of our NZQA programmes while based across 12 Corrections facilities throughout Aotearoa, alongside Marlin Briscoe’s The Secret Life of Objects.

This powerful exhibition showcases the creativity, resilience, and determination of artists who continue to develop their practice despite having access to only a limited range of art materials. Through drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, and mixed media, students explore themes of observation, storytelling, identity, and the creative possibilities found in everyday life.

Alongside these works is a selection from The Secret Life of Objects, a compelling series by student artist Marlin Briscoe, which invites viewers to reconsider the stories and significance held within ordinary objects.

One of the most striking aspects of Marking Time is the ingenuity demonstrated by the artists. Working within the constraints of a Corrections environment, students have embraced experimentation and mixed media approaches, finding innovative ways to create meaningful artworks from the materials available to them.

One student even incorporated pencil shavings into their work, transforming a humble by-product into an expressive artistic element.

Given the limited availability of material’s in prisons, Marlin Briscoe’s work is made of found material, such as deodorant rolls, hairbrush bristles, paper mache and paper plates.

Most artworks in the exhibition are available for purchase, with all proceeds going directly towards supporting TLC’s Corrections programmes. Every sale helps fund course fees, art materials, learning resources, and creative opportunities for incarcerated learners, enabling more people to access transformative creative education.

This exhibition highlights not only artistic achievement but also the transformative role of creative education. For many incarcerated learners, studying through TLC leads to their first formal qualification, opening pathways to further education, personal growth, rehabilitation, and a more positive future.

Most artworks in the exhibition are available for purchase, with proceeds supporting further creative study opportunities for learners within Corrections facilities.

We invite you to visit and experience an exhibition that celebrates creativity, learning, rehabilitation, and the power of transformation through art.

Exhibition Details

Marking Time & The Secret Life of Objects
On now until 19 June
Details: Weekdays, 9am – 4pm
Location: LAB Gallery, The Learning Connexion
182 Eastern Hutt Road, Taitā, Lower Hutt
Free parking
Free entry

Come along and discover the remarkable stories, talent, and creativity emerging from TLC’s Corrections programmes.