Exhibitions

A series about whānau (family), tikanga (culture) and tōku ōranga (way of life). The kids own the culdesac, dogs roam free, and no matter who's front door you land on, behind it is an aunty, cousin, or nanny ready for a catch up and a cuppa tea. While years of development have changed the surrounding environment and urbanisation has crept onto doorsteps, the now 'Urban Pa' is still very much a reflection of yesteryear.

As a teen I opened a speech competition with the line “Māngere has a church on every corner”, and as I have gotten older, my inquisitiveness around the subject of faith has intensified. Those featured in this work talk about how they practice their faith, who and how they worship and what they believed to be true.

As a manifestation of inequality, gentrification is about displacement and economic privilege. As the momentum of change increases, the inevitable transformation of our communities becomes less about the undeniable benefits of having better access to good coffee, but the quietly shifting dynamics of power and numbers, control and influence, agency, belonging and entitlement.

The works advocate for the appreciation of ngā puia o Tāmaki Makaurau (the volcanic field of Auckland), by raising the profiles of volcanic features with artworks that celebrate the contemporary relationships that communities have with these precious sites.