Iona Winter

In February, I was invited to respond to a mixed media exhibition Poipoia te Kākano at the Forrester Gallery in Oamaru, Otago https://www.culturewaitaki.org.nz/Whats-On/Poipoia-te-Kakano

Poipoia te Kākano showcases work from Kāi Tahu artists Caitlin Rose Donnelly, Allison Beck, Kate Stevens West, Jess Nicholson, Megan Brady, and Emma Kitson. At the exhibition opening event, I was struck by the way these talented artists had co-created an entire exhibition over geographical distance. It was perfectly attuned, intricately woven and visually stunning.

The works speak to colonisation, love, disconnection from ancestral links, a sense of home, the ways intergenerational trauma is embodied, grief, identity, belonging and reconnection (and much more).

My words flowed, through a process of engaging with each artwork, taking the time to connect with all my senses, and writing it down as quickly as I could. It is difficult to put into words the ways visual art informs my written work; put simply, it’s as though another part of my brain kicks in and a door opens to a flood of words.

Art is a subjective experience, where each of us have our own lens to view, listen and respond. The poem below Kōkōwai | Pigments is my creative response to Poipoia te Kākano. A QR code is available for the audio, via the Forrester Gallery should you wish to listen to a recording of the poem.

This exhibition was crafted with deep love, and in a room filled with ancestors and guests, the artists generously gave me the time to speak about their individual pieces. To hear from them was a beautiful gift, for which I am grateful.

Much aroha to these wonderful artists: Caitlin, Allison, Kate, Jess, Megan and Emma xx