Creative ID: 689
My arts or creative practice (including details about my specific focus within that art form/practice and my strengths)
I am a multi-disciplinary visual artist, creating large murals and canvas art as well as digital art. My strength lies in my ability to incorporate personalised stories, messages or themes in my work and am able to work with young children through to adults. I've run workshops with teachers, students and parents, as well as having created a good collection of murals for various schools around Auckland. I am able to incorporate, motivate and teach while creating and inspiring others to bring their own unique identity and skill to the forefront. My work is viewable on my website (link available on request).
My track record of experience and success - or the track record of experience and success of the creative or artist that I will partner with
I moved to New Zealand with my family to support my husbands' career in the entertainment Industry in 2017. With four young daughters, I focused on photography from 2008 to 2019.
2019
- Created a mural for a local school, in collaboration with student input about favourite storybook characters.
- Created mural panels for a local school 'houses' in collaboration with teachers and leadership team. I designed and painted six mural panels to represent the various 'houses' at the school; each house being represented by a main colour and native New Zealand animal. The use of Pasifika patterns and symbolism was focused on to represent the diversity in the students at the school.
- Mural panels for use outside of classrooms in a local Intermediate. Artworks to represent Pasifika students were requested, and designs were achieved in collaboration with some of the teachers.
2020
- Bathroom mural for a local Intermediate. In collaboration with teachers we designed a mural, focusing on positive role models and messages, depicted in silhouette on top of a bright background, to encourage positive behaviour for the students.
- Professional development workshop: a 6-week long workshop was conducted with teachers from a local school to enable them to confidently help their students create a higher quality of art.
2022
- School mural for a local school to represent local plants, birds and patterns.
Describe the experience you have had working with children or young people, teaching or facilitating creative processes
I have previously worked as a kaiako with children aged 3 to 5 on a daily basis, as well as having run my own art classes for home schooled kids from ages 5 to 18. I've taught adults, up to groups of 30, as well as running individualised and private art sessions. I am able to work with most themes, but since being in New Zealand have worked with nature and Pasifika patterned themes quite often, using the symbolisms to represent certain elements and meanings in my work.
Why I want to be part of the Creatives in Schools programme and how my involvement will link to my creative practice
I think the initiative to have creatives in school is important, not just for students to know that art is a viable career, but also for artist to be given the opportunity to contribute to their communities in a meaningful way. Being creative is more than just painting a pretty picture or choreographing an amazing dance – it's about giving a voice to those who are not comfortable speaking about what lies inside. It is healing and empowering and I believe it's an important tool that can be used to help the youth of our day recognise, express and engage with their emotions in a constructive way. My art has always been about having meaning, telling a story, or conveying a message and I see that with my involvement with this initiative I will be able to do so even more as well as help other young artists learn how to do so.