Justine Olsen has worked at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa since 2009 as Curator Decorative Art and Design. A Curator of Applied Art at Auckland Museum from 1988 to 1993, her research, publication and exhibition interests lie in New Zealand and international design, especially relating to the way knowledge is disseminated. Her special interests include the Walter Cook collection and the impact of modernism on New Zealand design and contemporary practices including studio jewellery and ceramics. With Michael Fitzgerald, she co-curated the 2012 Te Papa exhibition Walter Cook: A Collector's Quest.