Exhibitionist is a family run store in New Lynn, Auckland, specialising in hand crafted furniture, interiors, jewellery, fashion and exotic gifts. The business grew from humble roots: after spending time in villages across Indonesia, its founders were inspired by the way local families created such wonderful pieces using only the natural resources around them, and they wanted to share that craft with New Zealand.
What began in Grey Lynn in 1997 grew through a move into Lynn Mall Shopping Center in the early 2000s, and in 2017 the store opened its gallery-style destination space on Veronica Street — today located at 25 Veronica Street. The layout gives visitors the same 'exhibitionist experience' the store is known for, with room to explore ranges spanning singing bowls, bells and tingshaws; water features; white sage, palo santo and space clearing supplies; incense, oils and resins; candles and soy melts; Himalayan salt lamps and fire bowls; spiritual, garden and interiors pieces; plus the 'Wear It Your Way' fashion line and a Showcase Gallery.
Fair trade sits at the heart of the business. Exhibitionist has spent 20 years building relationships with village artisans and their families — close bonds that span generations — and ensures artists are paid fairly so all parties can benefit and develop further.
The company stands for sustainability, fair trade, quality, affordability and equality among peoples of all cultures and walks of life, delivered with a customer service experience that aims to send every customer home with a smile.
Exhibitionist has been part of Auckland's retail landscape since 1997, but its roots reach much further — to villages across Indonesia, where the family behind the business spent time and was inspired by the way local families created such wonderful pieces using only the natural resources around them. That inspiration became a promise: to share this craft with New Zealand, fairly.
The first store opened in Grey Lynn in 1997, introducing Aucklanders to a collection of hand crafted furniture, interiors, jewellery, fashion and exotic gifts. In the early 2000s the business made the move into Lynn Mall Shopping Center, where it began building its brand and establishing a loyal following far and wide.
Growing popularity eventually called for a bigger space, and in 2017 Exhibitionist opened its gallery-style destination store on Veronica Street in New Lynn. Today the store welcomes visitors at 25 Veronica Street, where the gallery layout delivers the same 'exhibitionist experience' the team is known for — with room to grow.
Wandering Exhibitionist is closer to exploring a gallery than browsing a shop. The ranges span Singing Bowls, Bells and Tingshaws; Water Features; White Sage, Palo Santo and Space Clearing Supplies; Incense, Oils & Resins; Candles and Soy Melts; Himalayan Salt Lamps and Fire Bowls; Spiritual; Garden; Interiors; and the Wear It Your Way fashion line, alongside a Showcase Gallery. Shelves of incense, oils and resins sit alongside candles and soy melts for scenting a room, while salt lamps and fire bowls bring a warm glow indoors and garden pieces extend the collection outside.
The water features are a standout — from the striking Buddha 4 Pots piece at 60cm to barrels and spouts, laughing good luck Buddha designs, a zen water feature with candle and natural-looking rock pools. For wardrobes, the Wear It Your Way collection includes soft ChiangMai slouch bags, patchwork cotton skirts, long Bagru-print skirts in colours from aubergine to blue teal, flowing totem-print dresses and wrap-feature pants. With exotic gifts and jewellery part of the mix since the Grey Lynn days, it's also a dependable stop when you're hunting for something a little different to give.
Fair trade sits at the heart of everything Exhibitionist does. The team has spent 20 years building relationships with village artisans and their families, developing close bonds that span across generations, and ensuring artists are paid fairly so all parties benefit and develop further. The company stands for sustainability, fair trade, quality, affordability and equality among peoples of all cultures and walks of life — and aims to deliver a customer service experience that ensures customers leave with a smile.
The store is at 25 Veronica Street, New Lynn, and opens 9:30am to 5:00pm Monday to Friday, and 10:00am to 5:00pm on Saturday and Sunday. The website is currently being refreshed and updated, so if you're looking for something specific, the team asks you to contact them directly on 09 8260663.
Because the online showcase is a growing range of hand crafted products that may not always be available in store, it pays to get in touch to confirm the item you want is on the floor — and custom orders can be discussed too. You can also follow Exhibitionist on Facebook and Instagram for updates.
Whether you're after a statement water feature for the garden, a singing bowl for your practice, a salt lamp for the lounge or a boho skirt for summer, the promise is the same: hand crafted pieces made fairly, presented in a gallery-style space that's genuinely worth a browse.