The Expatriates highlighted the parallel experiences of Frances Hodgkins and Barrie Bates (now better known as Billy Apple) as expatriate artists in the United Kingdom and how this informed their practice.

The exhibition included a selection of works by Bates and Hodgkins that have never before been exhibited in New Zealand. It focused on the work made by the artists when they were living in the UK, from the time they left New Zealand until they made a conscious decision to remain in the Northern Hemisphere.

The exhibition also included a selection of personal ephemera such as photographs, journals and letters which provided insight into the lives of these artists and revealed the extent to which their personal experiences influenced their artwork.

This exhibition was staged concurrently with Quiet: Recent Photographs by Christine Webster.