Toi Maori Artist Selected for Residency in Hawai'i
The Toi Oahu artist residency will be located at the Kamakakūokalani Centre for Hawaiian Studies of Hawai'i, Manoa, Hawai'i.
The Chair of Te Waka Toi, Dr Ngahuia Te Awekotuku, says the Toi Oahu residency “is an opportunity for a visual/craft object artist to connect with artists and students at the Kamakakūokalani Centre for Hawaiian Studies. The recipient acts as an ambassador for Maori arts and culture while benefiting from the exchange and idea-sharing a residency like this allows”.
This is a highly contested residency and Donna Campbell has been awarded this honour for 2009.
Donna says: “I am over the moon to receive the residency and totally excited about being in the Hawaiian environment. My real passion is our Maori fibre arts and how these traditional techniques and materials can be used to evolve the art form without losing integrity within the production processes. I am really looking forward to engaging with faculty and students of the university and discovering and sharing our mutual art and design aspirations.
"My key aims are to work on creating a series of adornments for the body from natural and found objects in the environment, these will complement a new woven garment inspired by the environs of Oahu that reflects the Hawaiian and Maori aesthetic in form, materials and design."
About the Toi Oahu artist residency
This is a biennial residency initiated and supported by Te Waka Toi/Creative New Zealand. A selected Maori artist will undertake a residency at the University of Hawai'i for an agreed period of time, not exceeding three months. The residency will be located at the Kamakakūokalani Centre for Hawaiian Studies of Hawai'i, Manoa, Hawai'i.
Donna Campbell will spend two months idea sharing, researching and creating new work. The purpose of the residency is to provide an opportunity for artists to create a new body of work while sharing their skills and experience with the students and teachers at the Kamakakūokalani Centre for Hawaiian Studies at the University of Hawai'i.
For more information, please visit the Creative New Zealand website.