Luit Bieringa was a visionary—an art historian, gallery director and filmmaker who had an enormous impact on the arts of Aotearoa for more than 50 years. Original, irrepressible and outspoken, Luit believed in the power of art to enrich and change lives, and his energy and enthusiasm was inspiring. Renowned for his generosity and loyalty, always ready to support a new project that sparked his imagination, he was a much-loved friend and mentor to artists, curators, gallerists, and anyone doing their bit for the arts.

Luitjen Hendrik Bieringa was born in Groningen in the Netherlands on 10 September 1942, and migrated to New Zealand with his family in 1956. In the 1960s, he graduated with a Master’s degree (honours) in German at the University of Auckland,