17 Jul A Coastal Masterpiece for a Cause: 2025 Wine Auction Feature Art Unveiled
Thursday 17th July, 2025
The 2025 Hawke’s Bay Wine Auction officially launched its countdown with the reveal of the event’s feature artwork; CAPE IX, a striking acrylic-on-linen piece created exclusively for the auction by Queensland-based artist Joe Helmore.
The unveiling took place at Tennyson Gallery in Napier, where supporters gathered to see one of the most anticipated elements of the annual event.
Helmore joined via video call and shared the moment that sparked the artwork’s creation—standing on a friend’s deck in Te Awanga, watching the sun set over Cape Kidnappers.
“I thought: that’s it. That’s Hawke’s Bay in one frame. Not the postcard view—this is the everyday view locals have a relationship with. It’s personal.”
CAPE IX continues Helmore’s ongoing exploration of Cape Kidnappers, blending abstraction, bold graphic elements, and dramatic shifts of light and shadow to capture the region’s iconic coastline.
The painting also subtly acknowledges Hawke’s Bay’s winemaking heritage—reflecting the climate, soils, and physical landscape that define the region.
Helmore’s connection to the Wine Auction is generational: his grandmother Deidre Helmore donated artwork to the auction in 1997. His 2025 contribution continues a proud family legacy of supporting the event and its cause.
General Manager Sam Kershaw said Helmore’s involvement feels particularly meaningful.
“Joe’s work is powerful, poetic, and deeply tied to place. His personal connection to the auction’s history makes CAPE IX a very special feature piece for this year.”
The artwork will be auctioned at the 2025 event on Saturday 13 September, with all proceeds supporting Cranford Hospice’s specialist palliative care services.