THIS!!
FAM BAM! is a public event where family portraits will be shot in the gallery affront a custom-made backdrop designed by artists in the exhibition Girls Who Shoot / Boys Who Draw curated by Janet Lilo!
Participants will walk away with their own high quality portrait image on disc for free and will potentially have an opportunity to add their images to the gallery show.
10am – 2pm, Saturday 26 May
Papakura Art Gallery
10 Averill Street
Papakura
The Hump Day Art Talks is a series of three mid-week panel discussions providing audiences with Pacific perspectives on art, creative criticism and hustling in the art game. The first one took place on Wednesday 9 May and featured an excellent panel of speakers including writer and comedian Vela Manusaute, artist and curator Leafa Janice Wilson and renowned thought leader Hufanga Dr ‘Okusitino Māhina.
Presented in partnership with Manukau Institute of Technology’s Faculty of Creative Arts, the talks take place onsite at Z Block, 50 Lovegrove Crescent, Otara. Students studying in the areas of Creative Writing, Performing and Visual Arts are a core audience for the series and have jumped on board in a big way to support the initiative.
Hufanga Dr ‘Okusitino Māhina presented a paper covering his signature approach to arts theory from a richly informed Tongan perspective. Discussing briefly the ways in which art is created, perceived and used, Dr Māhina gave audiences a strong philosophical context centralising Pacific Island ways of seeing.
Visual Arts Curator from Te Whare Taonga o Waikato – Waikato Museum, Leafa Janice Wilson, discussed her 20 year involvement in the arts and showed here a self-portrait she made when at art school in Dunedin in 1984. The mother of six explained where art fits in when children and family take over.
South Auckland writer and comedian, Vela Manusaute gave audiences insight into his background as a trained actor from Toi Whakaari, New Zealand’s leading drama school, and the beginnings of the Kila Kokonut Krew, the entertainment company established with wife and collaborator, Anapela Polataivao. Being Niuean and the differences of custom and courtesy to Tongans and Samoans had the audience giggling!
The floor was opened and panelists responded to questions with advice on encouraging students to read and write as much possible, looking at art school as a training ground for discipline and technique – essential in the industry.
Performing Arts students gifted an opening and closing performance to the event, singer Lilo impressed with his rendition of Cee Lo Green’s “Crazy” and his moving closing performance of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah”.
A big thank you to all the student volunteers and the Ngati Arty Maori and Pacific Students Association.
And to a WONDERFUL panel of speakers – their presentations were excellent and made this a very, very special event!
These photographs were produced by promising visual arts student, Sean Atavenitia who has been invited to document the entire Hump Day Art Talks series – watch this space!
Hump Day Art Talks are open to the general public; there is ample parking and talks will not be recorded, so being part of the event is pretty special!
The next event in the Hump Day Art Talks series foregrounds perspectives from the performing arts, heritage arts and curating and television and media industries – definitely not to be missed!
For tonight only, Coco Solid’s new zine-book, PHILOSOFLYGIRL – Volume 2, is available for sale at Fresh Gallery Otara for only $10! Coco Solid is an artist in the Fresh Gallery Otara 6th anniversary exhibition, WWJD curated by Ema Tavola. The show opens tonight and runs until 23 June.
This is a video aired on TVNZ’s Fresh last year profiling the launch of PHILOSOFLYGIRL – Volume 1
With league games running all day, Polynesian food stalls and music, the annual Scorpions Gala Day was a fantastic setting for the Scorpions for Life Mural Project!
It was a perfect Otara Saturday – blue skies all around! Games started at 9am and ran all the way until 4pm! Artists, volunteers and students from Hillary College painted all four walls of the Otara Rugby League Clubrooms.
The finished murals are beautiful and bold. They add a new dynamic to Ngati Otara Park.
Thank you to Parks (Auckland Council), Manukau Beautification Trust and Hillary College for excellent support of this important grassroots mural project!
Born and raised in Auckland, Lissy and her seven sisters are the daughters of noted New Zealand fashion designer, Colin Cole. Also Ngāti Hine and Ngāti Kahu proud, Lissy was bought up in a household of creative, passionate, intellectual and expressive people. Through her strong paternal bond, she started sewing at a young age. At 15, the grief of losing her father changed her life profoundly; gaining weight, Lissy started to design and sew clothes that reflected her own sense of style and circumstances.
In 2011, Lissy launched her new clothing label, I Love Lissy with its initial line of mumu or t-shirt dresses, shrugs and accessories. I Love Lissy is the product of 25 years of sewing and designing, meeting and connecting with customers and always reflecting the designer’s values of living a colourful, bold, passionate and expressive life.
I Love Lissy is a fun and vibrant brand steeped in a serious agenda to enable plus-size women to feel fabulous in their own skin and resist the temptation to hide away in black.
Follow the I Love Lissy blog for regularly updated insights into Melissa’s inspirations and ideas, links to events and TradeMe listings!
Of Samoan, Māori and European descent, Rachael Duval has been designing her own clothes since she was a teenager. Her design journey started in response to the lack of options for plus-size clothing; she started to create her own looks and has since completed a Diploma of Fashion Technology through New Zealand Fashion Tech.
Hip hop and R&B music, punk and goth influences shaped her style growing up in Mangere, South Auckland in the 1990s. The collection showcased at True South from Rachael’s newly established label, RAMADU, represents inspiration from female hip-hop artists Aaliyah and TLC – models of strong, independent women with fierce individual style.
Passionate about serving and celebrating the plus-size market, Rachael advocates for the need for the fashion industry to realise the prevalence of this underappreciated and underserviced market. Working part-time in plus-size retail, she understands intimately the rare and sincere sense of satisfaction when clothes look good and fit.
Keep up to date with Rachael’s developments via the RAMADU Facebook page!
Tasha Lee is a proud South Aucklander with firm roots in Otara. With extensive experience constructing clothing, Tasha established her business in 2007 with two foundation labels: Miss Tasha Lee and Rasta Lee Clothing. Creating clothing that makes women feel confident and beautiful is important, particularly in celebrating curves and plus-size proportions.
Rasta Lee Clothing is founded on a love for reggae music and its heartfelt following here in New Zealand. Red represents blood, that which connects and sustains every human; green represents the earth, and gold represents desired treasures. Tasha likens the celebration of reggae music and culture to that of Pacific and Māori communities where family and community is central. Comfort and versatility is high on the agenda for Rasta Lee Clothing – Tasha emphasises the ease of transitioning her garments from day to night.
With one successful fashion show already under her belt, Tasha is excited to launch her full range for Rasta Lee Clothing as part of True South. Find her on Facebook to keep up to date with events and new designs!
Paula Chan is a renowned fashion designer with over 30 years experience specialising in Polynesian traditional and contemporary design. Infusing a Samoan aesthetic into wedding and evening gowns, Paula is also known for her inspired taupou costumes.
Her impressive portfolio includes garments that have featured in beauty pageants in New Zealand, Australia, United Statesand around the Pacific. Paula also has works in the permanent collections of Te Papa Tongarewa and Auckland Museum.
A veteran of Style Pasifika, Villa Maria Cult Couture and the Benson & Hedges Fashions Awards, Paula’s designs always accentuate the feminine form in all shapes and sizes.
Czarina Wilson has been a regular name on the Pacific competitive fashion circuit since the late 1990s. With awards and recognition for entries in ‘Traditionally Inspired’, ‘Recycled Revolution’, ‘Streetwear’ and ‘Hero’ categories, Czarina has become known for her immaculate handwork and unique and innovative use of weaving and vinyl.
For competition, Czarina creates stunning and bold statement pieces leaning more towards wearable art. In a more functional capacity, she creates gowns and formal wear that emphasise comfort and Pacific references. She held a solo exhibition at Fresh Gallery Otara in 2010 entitled Plastic, exploring the use of man-made materials and vinyl and also the culturally-specific idea of being ‘plastic’.
The SCORPIONS FOR LIFE Mural Project is the second event of the Pacific Arts Summit taking place on Saturday 5 May at Ngati Otara Park, the home of The Otara Rugby League Football Club Inc - the Summit’s first sporty arty crossover event!! Food, rugby and beautiful painting – a perfect day!! Learn more here:
The Pacific Arts Summit poster has reached Rarotonga!
Cook Islands-based visual artist Ani O’Neill is pictured here at her store at the Punanga Nui market in Avarua! Ani presented a solo exhibition in the 2011 South Auckland Pacific Arts Summit called, Dancer of the Year 2011 - read more here.
Less than three weeks until TRUE SOUTH and the start of the 3rd Pacific Arts Summit!! WOOHOOO!
These beautiful images were made at ASB Polyfest on Saturday 17 March. Photographer Vinesh Kumaran and curator Ema Tavola set out to photograph the hair styles of 66 young people. The images will be part of the exhibition, WWJD at Fresh Gallery Otara, marking the Gallery’s 66th exhibition and its 6th anniversary!
It’s Throwback Thursday! Here are two awesome stories about the 2011 South Auckland Pacific Arts Summit on TVNZ’s Tagata Pasifika…
And one from Asia Down Under…
The SCORPIONS FOR LIFE mural project is an exciting initiative to take the Pacific Arts Summit to the sports field! On Saturday 5 May, as part of the notorious Otara Rugby League club’s Gala Day, the entire clubrooms will be painted by local visual artist and tattooist, Joe Lane!
Project Manager and Otara Scorpions Club Secretary, Ioka Magele-Suamasi, has been a vital member of the Fresh Gallery Otara community since its establishment in 2006. In 2009, she wrote her Master of Arts Administration thesis on a mural project undertaken in Ferguson Oaks Reserve, Dawson Road, Otara. The thesis entitled, Public Art Paradigms and Urban Markings in Otara is SOLID READ!
Wonder if this guy will be there… #TheBEAST
#OUA!!
