The Cross Pollination series is happily hanging in the company of friends.
Here my 3 works are hanging beside MiSun Kim’s gorgeous ink on paper work & Howard Tuffery’s stunning andesite sculpture. 

Vital Transformations is the name of this exhibition & it is on at 'Koru on Devon' a gallery space, upstairs at 18b Devon St East, New Plymouth.

These 3 works were selected to part of ‘Vital Transformations : Mauri Ora’ which comprises 3 exhibitions held in 3 different locations in the New Plymouth CBD over the month of July. 
​The entire exhibitions feature almost 30 works by as many artists. 

Each exhibition has a different kaupapa (theme) & the works have been curated accordingly. 

It’s a quiet & unpretentious event with a message that is not immediately apparent.

The curator, Ian Clothier, has written an essay for each exhibition which hangs alongside. 
The last two images are of a couple of pages of the essay he wrote to hang with this exhibition & include his interpretation of our works.

It has been wonderful to be part of this exhibition. 
It is wonderful to be in the company of people who feel & think about environmental things with the passion , enthusiasm & love that I feel for the world we live in.

Ian's attention to detail, selection & grouping of works allows each piece the time & space for it's voice to heard.

Land lines is an exploration of what it is to be indigenous to place & a comment about the responsibility which comes with that role.

Land lines is a comment on the attitude toward land & the treatment of land in the modern context, especially regarding the industrial farming practices of rural Taranaki.
The modern context seems to view land as being useful ONLY if it can be somehow made to make, save or hoard money for individuals.

It is a comment about how the geographical & geological boundaries are no longer regarded as significant nor honoured.

It is a comment about how the rivers who originate from the mountain & who remain somewhat protected within the circular confines of the national park are completely disrespected on the other side; they are polluted, their course is altered & their river banks are denuded.

It is a comment about how the songlines have been replaced with landlines.

It is a passionate comment, without aggression but with inconsolable sadness.

Land lines was created to be my entry into the annual Lysaght Watt Art Awards which is currently on til June 10th at the gallery in Hawera.
The LWAW is hosted & funded by the trust & each year there is a theme for the submissions to comply with.
This year the theme was 'Rising'.

I was thrilled to be invited to be part of this exhibition which is on til Dec 23rd 2017 at Lysaght Watt Gallery, cnr of Union & High Streets in Hawera.

​We are a diverse group of 8 fibre artists, all of whom are from Taranaki & this exhibition is a celebration of natural fibres & the myriad of ways to make magic.
There's colour & texture aplenty with a range of contemporary art pieces, garments, accessories & homewares.

​In fact, we all pulled out all the stops to make sure there really is something for everyone & every budget, it's Christmas gift buying time after all ;)