Renaissance portraits body of work

Since the start of the year I have been creating a series of Renaissance Wahine portraits from a successful art exhibition proposal at the Whakatane Exhibition and Museum Centre - Te Kopu. This exhibition is planned to open 14th November 2020 for my Renaissance portraits titled “Through the Looking Glass.”

My art

I aim to reference colonisation, to highlight and reflect my cultural identity. I have been painting in oils onto a mirrored surface. My unique process involves collaging transfers onto the surface. I have a special interest with the unknown Renaissance female painters of that error along with their hand signals that they used. This Renaissance Wahine series combines my Māori heritage as well as the influence of western art history, and in an unsettling and strange way they both have a strange relationship and influence in my arts practice.

My current circumstances

My current circumstances have changed due to the Covid-19 pandemic which has had a huge impact on my art life. My job as a travelling art teacher and relief teacher out at schools and kura has diminished. There is uncertainty when or if my work will begin again.

This has given me awareness of the transparency around funding costs I do not have and am now facing.

Currently I now have no income to carry out my goals and ambitions related to the opening nights exhibition.My timeframe has been interrupted. All my future art jobs have been cancelled. My usual work covered my costs of my timeline goals.

There are my personal aims for the exposure for diverse communities to have access and participation of a high end art experience such as mine. The development of continuing my arts practice is in jeopardy, this has faced me in these trying times.

I am now looking at sustaining my resilience as an artist to be able to have access to the resources I need, to carry on. My continued arts practice and goals that lead up to my successful exhibition proposal are at risk.

Costs to cover

Art costs I need help with are the image transfer film required for my collage work,exhibition flyers and invites, more mirrors (I have 5 large works already and will do 10 more), photographic paper, website development for promotion, biz cards, framing costs and all the other ideas involved.

As an artist I will need all the help to keep resilient right now during this uncertainty and appreciate some support at this time please.