Award Exhibition Entries
Moa - Emerging Practitioner in Clay 2020Moa, one of the most iconic extinct flightless birds of New Zealand that was hunted to extinction many moons ago. Birds endemic to New Zealand have thrived for millions of years, but it only takes a few centuries of human activity to have such an impact on the environment that we unfortunately lose them forever.
There have been many conversations about de-extinction or the reviving of extinct animals such as the Moa by scientists, including an article by popular magazine the National Geographic, that ask us to consider how we would feel about the possibility of this phenomenon. Urns in ancient Egyptian tombs are vessels used to aid the transportation of the dead to the afterlife, but this urn is a vessel for loss and signifies that ashes to ashes and dust to dust are absolute; that the Moa has been laid to rest and there it shall remain. Their bones housed in museum collections are there for us to remember, so let the loss of these birds and other extinct animals be a lesson, a guide, a sacrifice to teach us, haunt us and signify change. We may be on the brink of de-extinction but that is a dangerous concept. The prevention of such tragedies should be the focus of humanity and not reanimation of the deceased. |
Jail Bird - Whanganui Arts Review 2020"He always wanted to fly away from this place, but he had lost faith in his wings" refers to the feeling of self doubt and trying to overcome anxiety. Sometimes I have this pull to make big things, risky things, installations. What is really great about open entry exhibitions such as the Arts Review is that it allows you to push yourself as a maker. You get a creative freedom card and a chance to gamble on your abilities and see what you can do; it doesn't always turn out as you visualize or plan but those hiccups are all part of the learning process.
Matching up ceramics and cast glass were two materials that could easily break each other if I was not careful about how I mounted them. Trying new risky things allows me to bank technical knowledge, figuring out what works and also having the courage to ask for help when I hit a roadblock. 
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