Studio Insights - February 2025
CREATE: What I’ve created/done & what I’m working on.
INSPIRE: What art has inspired me.
LEARN: What I’m learning to develop my practice.
PLAN: What I’m planning next.
“A smile is a curve that straightens out a lot of things. ”
A super late reflection this time, but I’m committed to getting these done each month! I had a lot going on outside the studio in February. I was busy with best man responsibilities leading up to my close friend’s wedding, which was such a beautiful and amazing day. I also found out I lost around 80% of my courier work, which has left me feeling quite disorientated. As always though, I saw plenty of inspirational art, and even participated in two different exhibitions!
CREATE: Punaka Group Exhibition, Z3D Prints Show
‘Punaka’ Group exhibition - Thistle Hall
‘Punaka’ was an exhibition created as a joint effort with my collective studio group. Together we created an installation structure made of woven supplejack harvested from Otari-Wilton bush in Wellington, connected together with found fabric from our studio. Alongside was a series of photographs and a video documenting the creation process, displayed on a stitched-together fabric screen.
“This place is what we call ‘Punaka’.
It reflects on the ways we gather, build, and sustain each other through collective acts of making.”
Group projects are notoriously difficult. With 11 different artists of various backgrounds participating, making something cohesive together was going to be quite a challenge. I was quite hesitant during the project - this was far outside my usual subject matter, and I had no experience with building structures, stitching or weaving. I knew I could help with organisation and basic tasks, but how would I impart my own creative vision?
In the end, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the process and the end result. I had fun testing my photography skills where I could. Harvesting in the bush was a unique and grounding experience. I learnt some weaving and stitching techniques, and even made some sections I really liked. What I enjoyed most was how the hut ‘unified’ our studio - it sat in the communal space, open for anyone to work on wherever suited. This was extremely successful in allowing a true collective construction, and watching the structure dynamically evolve each day was exciting.
I’ll admit I still don’t fully ‘get’ the ideas behind the final result. Perhaps it’s not meant to be understood. I’ve never liked installation work much, but I’m proud of what we made together. It was fun, unique and presented beautifully. It pushed me outside my comfort zone, and closer to my studio peers. What more could you ask for from a group exhibition?
Z3D Prints show
This was a collection of framed prints which were all made possible from the art imaging work of Z3D. Cameron has made a point of collecting pieces of his favourite art he has photographed, and I was honoured to be included in this list. My work ‘Trailer Park Meltdown’ was displayed at DYED Studios alongside a beautiful range of other talented artists.
I’ve talked at length about the wizardry of Cameron’s imaging work. Without him, I have no idea how I’d achieve such incredible documentation of my large paintings, allowing for beautiful detailed prints. My life as an artist is so much better with him around.
INSPIRE: Human. Nature., Wellington Panel Discussion
Human. Nature.
Toi Poneke - Hannah Schickedanz and poet Jessica Arcus
I loved this truly unique combination of poetry and paintings—two sisters inspiring each other’s creative practice. There’s something about Hannah’s work that I find beautifully unsettling. Her bizarre and surreal portraits create a sense of discomfort, but in the best possible way. That emotional intensity, present in both the paintings and the poetry, made for a truly memorable exhibition.
Vision for Wellington Panel Discussion - What makes a world-class city, and how does Wellington become one?
Paddy Gower in conversation with James Cameron, Emma Proctor and Stuart Niven about what makes a city thrive.
Something a bit different, no visuals here. But this talk was no less inspiring. It’s no secret, I appear to be living in a dying city. There is a collective and heavy negative view of the state and future of Wellington. It was refreshing to hear such a positive and proactive talk about ways we could revitalise our beloved city.
One speaker in particular, Emma Procter from PikPok, stood out to me. Her insights into the future of gaming were fascinating. She advocates for the immense power of the gaming industry, and how an investment into fostering the industry could turn Wellington into a world-class location for talent and development. Gaming has always been a huge part of my life, but I’ve always just played as a hobby for enjoyment. This discussion made me consider the possibility of working in the industry myself—or even creating my own game one day. It was an exciting and unexpected spark of inspiration.
LEARN: The No-Phone Walk Challenge
At the start of February, I committed to taking a ‘no-phone’ walk every day. So, how did I do?
I managed 23 out of 28 days. A solid effort overall - most of the missed days were ones when it just completely slipped my mind. Every walk was different - the only requirement was leaving without my phone, the rest was flexible. I tried in the morning, lunch and evening. Bush walks, mountain hikes, along the beach and exploring the neighbourhood. I even got creative and combined with swims and runs. I took advantage of my flexible schedule and set out each time without any way of tracking the time. The best walks had no plan, no destination and no time limit.
Some walks surprised me. One evening, I forced myself out for a quick 10-minute stroll just to tick it off the list. I really didn’t want to go – but I ended up walking for over 45 minutes, discovering a new favourite track and having one of the most peaceful, blissful walks I’ve had in a long time. I found a love for quiet evening walks, allowing me to wind down free from any time pressure.
Leaving my phone behind left me with such a sense of freedom. I became so much more aware of my surroundings: noticing small details like a handwritten quote on the sidewalk, exploring new streets, stopping to listen to buskers and the sounds of nature around me. Walking is one of the most simple and primitive acts we can do, yet it holds such immense power. I found this quite grounding, countering the usual hyper-connected, fast-paced and productivity-centric city life.
I’ll admit I chose the best month - we had amazing weather and I never really had to brave the cold or rain. This would be an interesting and challenging experiment in the winter. I’m going to continue implementing these walks into my life moving forward - just not necessarily every day. Sometimes it was just plain inconvenient or felt unnecessary. Perhaps there’s hidden potential in pushing through those days - I’m still not sure. All I know for certain is that more walks = a better life.
PLAN: Utopia ‘Blue’ Exhibition
At the start of April, I’ll be headed up to Whanganui for a group exhibition ‘Blue’ at Utopia Gallery. The exhibition opens on Thursday 3rd April 2025 and runs through to Saturday 31 May.
This is my first time exhibiting with UTOPIA and in Whanganui. I’m super excited to see how it all comes together and immerse in the vibrant local art scene once again after my visit back in January.