Puppeteers, a sculptor and a map artist are among the five talented artists joining the Studio One Toi Tū Creative Studio Residency, supported by Auckland Council for the last five years.
The Lunar Collective, an emerging theatre company led by three female artists, will join the 2019/2020 residency. They will present two shows: The Judas Sheep and Lunar State. The collective use diverse talents to perform image-based storytelling.
Emily Hurley, a member of the collective, will use the residency to put together The Judas Sheep, alongside collective members Sheyney Ansin and Bridie Sissons. The puppet-based theatre work is inspired by the experience of Emily's grandmother, a woman who was institutionalised in the 1960s with post-partum psychosis and will focus on her relationship with a pet lamb.
Also joining the residency is Tongan artist Icao Tiseli. She will create map stories which explore the role of storytelling in indigenous communities. the project explores how each group of islands converses differently about their origins. Tiseli will map stories from each island, highlighting the resources these stories carry.
Another artist in residence for the 2019/2020 season is Andrea Gaskin. The residency will see her collaborate with creatives from across Auckland in screen-printing, painting and clay sculpture. Andrea has been an arts educator since 2003. During this time, she has moved into the community art space, working with the Auckland Women's Refuge and Connect the Dots.
While in residence, Colombian artists Juliana Durán and Sandra Blanco will use a combination of writing and art to explore themes such as identity, ancestral roots, and a sense of belonging. Blanco is a psychologist and researcher who works with Colombian refugees. Durán came to New Zealand after receiving a scholarship to complete a masters at ELAM, part of the University of Auckland. She has participated in exhibitions across Auckland, including the George Fraser Gallery.
The fifth artist joining the programme is Sarah Holten-Warren, a Māori mixed media artist who works with a Tobii device to create large-scale, expressive artworks. At age 26, Sarah has Rett Syndrome, a neurological disorder which means she is unable to communicate verbally or use her hands for everyday neurological function. Instead, she uses a head pointer to make a variety of large, sweeping marks on the canvas. Her exhibition at the end of the 2019/2020 Studio One Toi Tū Residency will be the first eye-gaze art exhibition to take place in Auckland.
A free 'Meet the Residents' talk will be held at Studio One Toi Tū on 19 November. It promises to be a great opportunity to hear from the new residents as they discuss their projects.
When their tenure ends in 2020, these five residents will exhibit their work as an event or exhibition in the Studio One Toi Tū galleries.
Studio One Toi Tū is an Auckland Council arts facility in the Waitematā Local Board area. It offers creative course, venue hire, exhibition space, and studio space to the local community.
