CONNECTION - 4 guest artists from the group show

Hai, Kia ora, and welcome to Creative Connections, where we have beautiful inspiring conversations with artists living in Altaura, New Zealand. I'm your host, Mandy Yakic. Hi everyone, we are recording today from Kumu Arts, which is our gorgeous art gallery where connection is being held currently. And connection is a group show of 60 artists who have been guests on the Creative Connections podcast. So I'm here sitting in the corner in amongst all these beautiful works with three of my beautiful guests from the podcast. We have Dita Angelies, Chris Melville and Coral Nol Yang. And they have very graciously supported me and have agreed to come in and have a little bit of a chat to me about the show and about what they've been up to since we last recorded. And then we've also got Evonne Abrakon becoming shortly. It is great to have you all here. Thank you so much for being here in the middle of the gallery. So if you hear some random sounds, it just means, you know, it's part of the day-to-day running of the gallery. So Dita Angelies, let's start with you. You and I spoke in September of 2024 and that was episode 139. So if listeners would like to learn more about Dita if you don't know already, you can go back to episode 139. Dita comes from a strong background in portraiture which evolved over the years into an existential examination of social presentation. She specialises in conceptual photo-realist oil paintings and especially lights to the UCM centered around behaviour, ego, identity and anonymity. Dita has been a professional artist since 2002 and has spent much of her career living in various places around Asia Pacific before returning to New Zealand in 2023. Welcome, Dita. Thank you for having me, Mandy. Such a pleasure and so lovely to see you again. Can you give us a little update on what you've been up to since last time we spoke? So there's a big difference between what's happening with me since the podcast, since the original podcast. So I was kind of struggling back then because I had just arrived in New Zealand and I was looking to get myself out there. I guess nothing had really come into fruition yet, but I've kind of taken a little bit of liberation velocity and some things are starting to fall into place. I had recently been, I had to work in the Ad Imported Prize, which was very nice. I didn't win, but to be a finalist is quite something. And there were other competitions that I've been finalist in and of course I'm drawing blanks. But just recently I'm in the National Contemporary Art Awards. So that's. I'm very. Congratulations. Thank you. I'm so chuffed about that. That's great. And since we spoke, I think you have been taken on by a couple of galleries. Yes, yeah. I'm very pleased about that. It was like my dream come true. Yeah. And I think we spoke about that in your episode. So it's awesome that you've achieved that. Yeah. And as we were talking about before we started recording, you know, as artists you've just got to push and push and push. Yeah. And make this kind of stuff happen, which you obviously are, which is great. Yeah. I think that the key to being an artist is just don't stop. Just keep going. Now you have a beautiful work in the show, which has actually been sold, was sold on opening night. Well done. Yes, thank you for that. Thank you very much. Could you please tell us about the work and then also maybe let us know how that fits for you around the theme of connection? Absolutely. So the piece is called Proposition. It's a black and white image that was taken in 1960. I have removed the identity from the subject in it by cropping and having. There's one face, which is concealed by a wine glass. So basically, I don't want to have to worry about, you know, crediting a model or anything. So by removing the identity through crops, you can kind of put together a scenario that's happening. So there's more of a story because we're looking at what the subjects are doing rather than who they are. And so, Proposition. So there's a gentleman with a holding a glass of wine and he's also holding the hand of a lady. Well, or I'm pretty sure it was a lady. The very feminine fingers for 1960s. So let's lean that way. And so there's a bottle of wine on the table and it looks like it's quite empty. The social lubrication has occurred and it's like the connection is about to happen here. Like he's going to ask her something a little bit challenging. Like, "Volevou, Couché avec moi, et mes amie, c'est quoi?" And like how it's a little bit sworted. Like how. Well, I mean, that's the way that I see it anyway. Maybe that's just me. And I was thinking about calling it "Proposal", but I don't know if that was a little bit too more cash and actually it does. More obvious. Yeah, but I like things that are a little bit ambiguous. Yeah, yeah. A little bit off. Yeah, and I love the way I could just see people really looking into it and kind of creating their own stories from their image. Like what is actually going on here and it's so interesting that he's sort of concealing part of his face with a glass and like, "What is actually going on? What is the relationship between the two of them?" And how bad is that proposition going to be? Yes, or how good. Yeah, true. And that's an oil painting. Yes, oil and canvas. Yeah, it's really striking. It's lovely to have you part of the show, Dita. Thank you so much. And I do appreciate too that you are with other galleries and it's lovely that you felt that you could contribute to the show. Oh, absolutely no. At a community gallery. Thank you for that. And what do you think of the show? Oh, I love the show. I think it's, I'm really, really curious as to the connection in the pieces. I mean, you know, we were asked to think about connection when we were making the pieces. And I see a lot of pieces and I wonder, some of them are obviously enough of what the connection is and some of them are very obscured to how to interpret connection into it. I think it's a good thing that we're doing this talk today and explaining, you know, the connections that we put in our pieces because I would just love to know what everyone's work, like the story, the statement behind everybody's piece. So I think that that fascinates me quite a lot. And also the fact that the artists involved are extremely like not small, you know, they're pretty nice caliber of artists to have in one spot. Yeah, yeah. I'm so proud to be part of it. Oh, thank you. Yeah. Yeah, I know what you mean. I mean, I find it so fascinating reading something about a work. And I would have liked to eventually had labels explaining each of them, but you know, it is a very busy show. It's a very clicked at show and I think to have a bunch of labels on each one would have made it too busy. But yeah, I do find it fascinating. And that's what's great about the podcast that, you know, people can go back and listen to the episodes of these artists and kind of make connections themselves. But maybe what the artist was thinking or their process or their practice in general. So, yeah, for me, it was thinking about the artists being aware of that theme of connection as they make or as they choose the piece. But then also people being able to connect back to the podcast. Oh, yeah. I don't even think of that. Yeah. And then connect to the artists and learn more about them after they've seen their work. Yeah, that's true. Yeah. And also to bring in your new name. Yes. Yes. Yeah. That was part of it. Yeah. Nice. Creative connections. Yeah. And then, you know, on opening night it was just such a lovely example of connection and the way the artists were meeting each other and I did make artists with name tags, which was quite nasty and mean. But I think it's a good thing. It was good. Yeah. Because it made people think, oh, I'm going to go and talk to that person. Yeah. And now I know who they are, kind of thing. just felt like that didn't it? it was quite a nice feeling in that way. You know, it was really special. I wish I could have been up opening. Yeah, me too. So, Deeta, if you were asked to choose one word to take home, it's a very difficult question, but what would you choose and why? It actually wasn't difficult for me. There is a piece I think it's called "Vast" by Belinda Griffiths. And I think it's simply because every time I see her work, I don't necessarily go, "Oh, it's Belinda Griffiths." I just go, "Wow, that's awesome." And then I find out that it's her. And so, I just love how the organic application of the paint just works in with a figurative form, which is very precise and it's just mesmerising and it's so raw and beautiful. Yeah, that's what it is. So, I'll have that one, please. Okay. And Chris is looking like he might have chosen that one. Are you kidding? But he might have different reasons for that. So, Deeta, what is next for you, do you think? What have you got in the pipeline? Okay, well, there's the National Contemporary Art Awards coming up. So, I'm a finalist there. So, that's in Kiri Kiri Dowa. So, that'll be drawn on the 31st. And it's blind judging, so not allowed to show anyone the piece at the moment. And the judges don't know the artist? No, they don't. No. And I think it's a very good way of judging a competition. So, it's purely merit-based and judges' taste based rather than who you know based. Yeah. Because sometimes the outworld can be a little bit closed, a little bit in sisterous. And so, if you're in, it's good, but if you're not in, then you don't really have much of a shot. So, I think this is an excellent way of doing it. Yeah, that's right. That you're a part of that again. I mean, it's awesome. You seem to be quite if it was probably not effortless. But you are getting into quite a lot of competitions and becoming a finalist. Yes, it's very nice, a very nice thing to be getting used to. It's so good. Yeah, well done. And you gifted me that beautiful green oil painting of a woman with a blonde bob, but it's kind of green, everything's green. With gorgeous, like, a satin shirt and really beautiful, the folds of the shirt is just really stunning. I just have to tell you that my grandson, who's two, Dax, every time he sees that, he's like, "Momo!" Which is my grandmother name. Oh, right. So, Dax, for some reason, because this is like a very gorgeous young woman who is kind of green, but he always connects it with his grandmother, which is me. And it's the cutest thing. Oh, nice. Yeah, and I just love that. I think it's really interesting. And I'm very honored that he thinks of me when he looks at that beautiful painting. Yeah, and it's lovely. Yeah. All right, Dita. Well, thank you very, very much for being part of the show and for showing your beautiful work and for coming back to have a chat. It's so lovely to see you again. Oh, it's my pleasure to be here. And I will definitely come back for any future things you have if you want me. Great. I do want you. I'll get bigger for next time. Okay. You don't need to be bigger. Just be you. Okay. Thank you, Dita. Thank you. Okay, now we have Chris Malville. Welcome to Kumu Arts' Chris. Thank you. And thank you again for being part of the show and for coming today. We did see each other, I think, at my husband's band's gig. Were you talking some photos? Yeah, great night. Yeah, that was at Big Fan. Yeah. Which is amazing. Yeah, I'm a big fan now. Yeah, good, good. And you took some beautiful photos, which I will treasure. So thank you very much for that. So you were episode 151. And that was recorded in November of 2024. And you came out to the studio. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That was lovely. Yeah. It was so nice. You're an award-winning abstract photographer. And you create a theory or fine art photography where household fabrics transform into breathtaking landscapes. Using a slow shutter speed, a natural light, you capture the delicate form of linen, denim, smooth cotton and transparent organza, creating layered textures that evoke misty legs, rolling mountains and serene horizons. While composed entirely of everyday materials, these dream-like images reflect the mystical beauty of New Zealand's natural environment. So your works are incredible, Chris, because people do honestly think they are landscape. Every day. But it's so weird when people connect with them. They don't connect as a New Zealand natural environment necessarily. At my most recent exhibition, people were going Canadian Lake or Welsh Hillside or a lot of other experiences that people have had that they draw on. So it is actually down, I'm going to speak about this in a minute, but it's down to their personal take. Yeah, which is really lovely. It's lovely to explain it and see people have that second level of awareness and catch that second take on it. Yeah, it's good. And it's really quite unique. It feels like you've created a style that's quite especially your own, which is nice. Yeah. It's funny, because it's not the way I've come into photography, but it's a little niche that I developed for a certain purpose. And now it does seem to me my riff for a while. Yeah. Yeah. A little musical reference there. Yeah. So Chris, you do have another career which is singing and you are a very accomplished musician. So if you want to learn more about Chris, you can look into episode 151, as I said, and hear the whole story. So we won't go into it all today. But could you please talk about the work that you have in the show and what you are thinking around the theme of connection? Well, it's an abstract notion of connection where I've written this down so I could get the words out just as I needed to say it. When viewers see my works, they apply their own narrative. While it's a photo of Fabric, they'll tell me it's a view from somewhere else in their mind. Therefore, the connection's in their mind. It's the mind of the observer. They make their own connection to the memory or experience of their own. That personal connection enables a universal language. So true. What's about this particular piece? This is a piece which is, I have to look behind me on the wall. It is a business shirt, a dress, a pair of camel-colored trousers, and a gift wrap ribbon. Really? Oh my gosh, that's crazy. And they're lying in my lounge in the sunshine. And you can see right down the bottom there's a camel-colored kind of beach. And then the gift wrap ribbon is the wave itself. And then beyond that is the sea which is this blue dress. And you can make out a kind of texture in the sky like a repetitive texture. It's one of my business shirts. That is really so cool. What have you called it? Wave. Actually every work that I make is named after a jazz song and wave is a famous jazz tune. Oh, okay. By Jo-Been. Nice. That's a nice connection with your other life. Yeah, it feels very, it does feel quite beachy this one this much. Yeah, so my brother looked at it and went, oh, that is absolutely a potty beach. Really? Yeah. Because of the angle of the water that you are up high looking down into the water. No, that beach well. It's beautiful. You know, sometimes in a lot of beaches but definitely in Coramander I've seen it where you get a kind of haze that happens especially at dusk. And you can't make out where the sea ends and where the sky begins. Yeah, yeah, it's just such a beautiful work. And I think your work is really stunning and gorgeous. You've just had a show at Lake House, which was very successful. Tell us a little bit about what you've been up to since we spoke last year. Lake House has been a big deal for me because it's my first solo show. And it was received well, really, really good. Good few weeks. It's a beautiful place to exhibit and it's another community-oriented gallery. So the super people, such lovely people and the really supportive, they're a great team. Yeah. Other than that, that's been my major artistic focus, visual art focus. But in music last Christmas I was I was Santa at Christmas in the park, down in Christchurch and up at Auckland, which was a very large event. So huge, huge event and a very cool thing to be a part of and really different, you know, really unusual thing to do, especially with my, you know. Yeah, you don't look like Santa. You don't look like Santa. Thank you very much. Yeah, that's good. And I'm working during the day too. I'm a graphic designer. Yeah. Busy times. Well, what have you got planned coming up? What month is it? Okay, so I packed down the Lake House exhibition and brought the piece straight out to here on the same day. So that was perfectly dovetailed together. The next one will be I think we have something that smells farm that Lake House invited me to be a part of, just a small exhibition or at least my part of it is small. But after that, art in the park again, hopefully Christmas in the park again. And right now I'm applying for a few opportunities for next year, so making sure I'm part of the submission process for galleries next year. - Well, that's great. - Yeah. - So it's paperwork time. - And good to do another art in the park, I think. - Yeah, oh yeah. Yeah, always a great place. I mean, in my episode, I talk a lot about them. They're such a great team. And it's always good to be in a gallery where people come through and see your work and make the connection. And then you discover how the market works and how people will take to your art and you adapt your art to respond. - Yeah, and it's so lovely to have that opportunity to meet your audience and to speak to people about your work and get their responses and feedback. And yeah, it's a lovely environment for that. - And I know that we survive on the monetary aspect of it. That's the thing that buys our food and our electricity. But in fact, when people connect with the art, the idea of the money goes out the window and you find yourself so grateful for their response to your art and their love of your art, the actual connection, which is what this is all about. - Yeah, totally. So speaking of connection, what do you think of the show? - I love the show and this is quite a small room but there's so many artworks in this little space and it's eclectic, something from every corner of art. And obviously I said this about art in the park but you find there's something for everyone. There's a few things for me here, quite a few things. - Yes, so we need to talk about this. - What are the things that you, well, what are the works that you would love to take home? - Well, I was going to say vast by Bill and DeGryffis. - You can take that as well. - Her use of light in her artwork is amazing. And I think her name didn't come to me in our episode but I was trying to recall her work, that the brush work that she has in her work, that the form accidentally falls out of the brush work, just seems incredible. Like it defies something, beautiful, beautiful work. Levi Hawkins' bronze sculpture, I think is the most amazing compact, dense little piece. And the reason why I love that is he's produced something that helps me to recall something that I saw in a book many years ago when I was studying industrial design where we were studying additive and reductive, subtractive construction processes, product design processes. And there were lots of cool little illustrations of these beautiful little forms, and that reminds me of that. It has so much balance and poise, but that density is like an entire planet reduced into this one little piece. - Yeah, it really feels like that. - And DeGryffis piece, I think, is incredible, but you've spoken about that. But there's so much intrigue, and it seems like a chaotic moment. You can almost hear a cocktail event or a wedding or something happening in the background that you've witnessed a little frame of this event. And I love the era. - Yeah, it's a great era. Thank you so much, Chris, and thank you for all your support. And I know that you are an avid listener. You used to be, hopefully, you are. - Oh yeah, yeah. - Don't quiz me, but yeah. - Yeah, thank you very, very much for all your support, and for being here and for being part of the show. - Thank you, thanks for having me. - Hello, Carl. - Hello, Mandy. - It's so lovely to see you again. - Thank you so much for having me. - Thank you, and we could have it opening night very briefly. - And it was beautiful. - Yeah, it was great. It was incredible meeting all the artists. - It was such a lovely night. And it felt so positive, and I felt very touched and overwhelmed actually with, it's incredible, well-being. - Just the support of the people coming, yeah. I've already set up a film appointments to visit a studio now. - Really? - Yeah, it's amazing. - Incredible artists. - Well, that's so good. And that's what it's all about, connection. - Connecting community and connecting artists. - Absolutely. - Yeah, that's so good. So you were episode 49, which was actually three years ago. - Can you believe that? - I cannot believe it. - I know. - Oh my god. It feels like yesterday. - I know. - Really does. So that was July 2022. You are an Auckland-based Taiwan-born contemporary painter and you skillfully merge soak-stained techniques with Asian water ink traditions to create vibrant, abstract and landscape art using acrylics, oil and mixed media. You draw inspiration from Alta Roa and you have an amazing global film-making experience behind you and a Chinese Japanese heritage. Your works are characterized by luminous, huge, expressive marks and beautiful whimsical brush strokes that capture the essence of nature and the depth of human emotions. Your paintings evoke a profound sense of wonder and belonging. So can you tell us, I absolutely love your work. Can you tell us about the piece that you have in the show? - Yeah. So this piece is called Threaded by Light. So my name is Coral, right? So almost like every year I will create a little collection with the theme of the Coral. So this piece is also featuring the Coral Reaves, the Echo system. For me, I felt, as soon as you sent us that, you know, connection was the theme, I just fell, of course, Coral. - Yeah. - Got yourself in your Coral Reaves is the best metaphor for connection because it's self is a community, right? And I watch a lot of documentary about Coral Reaves. I'm just obsessed with it. Because every creature, every species living there, they really depend each other, right? To be able to thrive. You know, and then Coral Reaves, this time of the day, you know, this is, you know, with all the climate change pollution is so far down, but on the other hand, 80s are also a symbol of resilience. Time-alike our creative community, you know, we are kind of very sensitive, you know, but then we are also very resilient when we can lean on to each other. So I just feel that's what I'm going to do with your thing. - Yeah, that's so beautiful. And it really, it does have a sense of underwater and sort of Coral and underwater growth. - Yes. - But in the very sort of gentle, gorgeous way, can you tell us a little bit about the colors that you've chosen? - Yeah. So this piece that has a lot of Agua Mirim, and then this is the rust orange. I just love that contrast. And for, so you know my practice, I pull the acrylic fluid onto the rock canvas because I love rock canvas. It reminds me of our Asian rice paper, you know, and that's so it's so good, the paint into the fabric, it feels very intimate. And then I do a lot of the layers, you know, after each one is dry, sometimes it's wet on wet, and then I like the organic feel, you know, like you actually cannot control it, but you try to, you know, that kind of unpredictability is what I'm looking for. And then for this piece, I actually added a new medium that's powder dye. So you can see like this area, it's totally uncontrollable. You just have that powder dye got into the water and then you will make all that the interesting pattern. Just look like the wave or the corals in the reefs. So I just love that, you know, fun. It's so beautiful. And I love the mark making that you've done on this one, which I guess is at the end. Yeah, yeah. And that is, it's a very peaceful, gorgeous piece. Yeah, love it. Thank you. So what do you think of the show? Oh, it's amazing. You know, there are so many artists, you know, like our guests today. So I just admire their work. You know, I'm relatively, you know, like a new because I'm used to be a filmmaker. This is my new practice, you know, five years. But so many artists I respect and they have such a long history of their work, their incredible knowledge and skills. And so I came here that night and just look at all this incredible and each piece is a story by itself. And I connect with them, some of them, I just admire it before. I never get a chance to talk to them. But now you know, I just, you know, I have such a great time. Just learning from them and just look at all the pieces. How is it done, you know? Yeah, it's amazing. It's amazing. Yeah, it's so inspiring, I find. And I just love, I love a busy hang. I just think they all talk to each other in really interesting ways, you know, in contrast and sort of connect in different ways with the size and the spaces in between and the colours and everything. Yeah, and it's, I saw a really nice real, the small, ―In the morning, when somebody had filmed all the pieces that were using thread in some way, ―because this artist was an artist who uses thread also. ―And it was just so nice that she was connecting to works that she felt connected to from her own practice ―and lovely that she could find that. ―So it's almost like there's something for everybody. ―You can definitely come and be inspired. ―You made a wide type of 'are you are doing? ―Absolutely. ―So I have been asking everyone what piece you would like to take home. ―And why? ―So what are you connecting to? ―I love Sarah Wussendorf. ―I don't know, just why I came in that night. ―That one just drew my attention. ―Somehow I love blue, you know? ―I'll draw my rainbow blue as beautiful. ―I love that kind of. ―It's very contemporary, it's geometric, but it's organic. ―And there are just the layers and the transparency and the lighting. ―Kindly, I like to produce myself, so I'm drawing into that. ―And it's also just taking me to a place that you feel very peaceful, very meditative. ―And I don't know, it's a world, but I don't know exactly what it is, but I like to go there. ―And everyone, you know, I listen to the story. ―Yes. ―Amazing. ―It's an incredible story. ―Yeah. ―You'll get some muscle, listen to it, because you're so much fun. ―Yes, Sarah Wussendorf's episode is quite fascinating. ―And you can really see how her practice reflects her life. ―And, you know, that's the sort of form of meditation for her, which is really beautiful. ―And I love that. ―It feels like roses to me. ―Does it feel like roses to you? ―For me, it's like, yeah, like you said, I'm falling, you know, like it's just really opening up. ―And with all the layers and depth, and there's some kind of mystery. ―Yeah. ―And, you know, the repetitive aspect of it, that is sort of tiny circles, the same size, all over the work, ―over that beautiful ultra-marine. ―I really love that one too. ―Yeah, like she never really planned how, you know, it's very intuitive, for some, you know, fascinating. ―And I love that sort of accidental, accidental gems that come out of her process, you know, ―and she's not exactly sure how it's going to be at the end. ―It's just sort of things that organically happen, which is such a beautiful process. ―So, what have you been up to since 2022, and not sure? ―So, yeah, I have two very wonderful solo shows, one called Unfurling at Lake House, ―and then last year, it's called a Tokimeiku in Aksperature. ―So, yeah, it was really wonderful. ―They both draw from my personal story, Unfurling was from my childhood, and then Tokimeiku is from my travelling with my family in Japan, my mom's hometown, ―and talking about belonging and connection, which is the theme of my work. ―I find out being an immigrant. ―A lot of times, I felt quite lonely, because I miss my hometown, ―but I also love what New Zealand, you know, provide, you know. ―So, I think I create from that tension of feeling want to belong and missing, ―and that kind of, it's the connection story I share with my audience. ―Somehow people can really feel that, or that's why they like my art. ―Yeah, they really do. ―Oh, that's great. Well done. ―And what have you got planned for your future? What's in the pipeline for you? ―Okay, so, I'm going on to the artist's residency in France in two days. ―Oh, my God, that's amazing. In two days. ―Wow, yeah, seeing Champagne is called a shuttle or a cove. ―So, it's three weeks with international artists, with writer musician, you know, just going to be really creative. ―Clap, you know, so, yeah, I'm really looking forward to, you know, to be inspired. ―And then, and then I will have ten days in Italy. ―Really? ―Yeah, so, wow. ―It's an art pilgrimage for me. ―And then afterwards, I come back for art in the park, in September. ―Oh, wow, so you busy? ―Yeah, so I will see Chris in the photos. ―And data? ―Yeah, and data. ―And the phone? ―No, okay. ―Well, that's very exciting and all the best for the residency. ―Yeah, I'm sure you'll be super inspired by that and it'll be really interesting to see what comes into your work from that. ―I really look forward to it. ―Yeah. ―Oh, thank you so much for being part of this show, and thank you also for your incredible support, and it's so lovely to see you again. ―Thank you, Mendy, for having me, and always, always, a real joy. ―Thank you. ―All right, Evon Abacrombe, our last gorgeous guest. Thank you so much for being here with us. ―Thank you for having me again. ―And you're so welcome, and I know you're very busy working at Helen'sville Arts Centre, the manager there, and you've had a lot on lately, so I'm very honoured that you managed to find a space in your busy life for us. ―Oh, thank you, I'm honoured that you asked me. ―So you were episode 128, so people can go back and listen to your really interesting episode. ―That was recorded in June last year. ―Oh, gosh. ―More than a year ago. ―Wow, actually, it felt like the end of last year. ―I felt quite weird. ―Oh, I know. ―It's amazing. ―It's so strange. ―So you completed your Master of Design degree in 2017, during which time you developed a body of figurative and narrative-based portrait paintings. ―Applying the figure to an undisclosed abstract landscape is where your practice is situated, which remains relevant in your current practice today. ―You are interested in the marrying of subject, imagination, and the elusive behaviour of paint. ―So thank you very much for being part of the show. ―I, as always, absolutely love your gorgeous painting that you've made for us. ―Thank you. ―Can you tell us a little bit about the painting? ―Yes, absolutely. ―The title of the work is "Lamey Down" and it actually comes from a song by Alan Gill. ―And I really love the song, but that part of the song just kept repeating over and over while I was. ―Well, before I was doing that painting, but also while I was doing that painting, so the title actually came after. ―But it's just funny that you say that I'm quite busy at the moment, but that's what painting does for me. ―It slows me down, it helps me. ―We set myself and helps me engage back into me. ―And at that point in time, I just needed solitude and the painting, which you would know from my previous works as well, ―and my practice in general, can be at different times cluttered, filled with different figures, colours, thick and thin, ―push and pull, different stories playing out, different scenarios. ―And this one is very solace, it's very solo, individual, and it still has subject matter, it still has that elusive behaviour, ―and it still has fanciful notion with the wing, so it speaks volume to me, but in a lot more minimalistic way, ―which is quite different for me, and it was playful and fun to do, but it's the wonderful thing for me about the types of paintings that I do, ―is that they are very alive and active because they do come from a personal narrative and feeling in an emotion, ―and something that was important at that period of time. ―And when I look at works even from years ago, I still have that same feeling or emotion that was going on behind the work when I was painting it. ―That's so beautiful. ―And it's a female figure, isn't it, with wings? ―Yes. ―So it does have a better flow, feel about it. ―What is the story behind the flight? ―The flight that's a lot to do, well for me, it's escapism. ―And I think a lot of artists, well, they will admit or don't admit, but I'm pretty sure most artists can say they jump into their practice as a form of escapism, ―and my artwork and my studies was heavily driven by different movements in art, and one of those is symbolism, ―so with the movement symbolism, there's use of subject, use of object, use of colour, just to speak what you're wanting to say in the work. ―So with the use of the butterfly, I've done quite a few works now that have butterflies, and all the figures are cloaked with butterfly element, ―to exactly what you said, give it that sense of flight, escapism, elevating from the world, alleviating from the stress, it sounds very dramatic, isn't it? ―No, it's good. ―The painting in itself is quite subtle, but I think that's why I like to bring it back to work. 1 figur, 1 element of symbolism, although you won't notice it, there's a little blue and owl within the wings as well, a little touch of a little bird in there too. But I do kind of sneak those in either in the landscape background or within the figure sometimes. And again, that just also speaks of that same thing of flight or nature. It's wonderful for me to reflect on something that is natural because there's so much man-made things in the world and when you look at birds or creatures, there's a lot of characteristics that is really lovely to employ in your own nature because it's gentle or it's beautiful. So yeah, there's a lot of that in there. It's such a beautiful piece. Thank you. The beautiful sort of abstract backgrounds that you often do in your works. It's quite sort of has a darkness about it. It's a darker than some of your other works. But then I love that you've got some pink sort of what feels like flowers, sort of in amongst it. So it's almost like there is a bit of light in the darkness. Yes, I got happy. And it's just so sort of textural and gorgeous with that lovely, thick oil paint that you do in there. And the really interesting sort of brush strokes or palette knife marks of paint is interesting you say, darkness, because it's probably not something I was feeling in the work. But I love always having a contrast within the work. So if something's very subtle like that piece where it's about solitude, creating a dark space but having just a burst of light, almost gives such a strong contrast, which makes I always describe it as you even know that the darkness is there unless you have darkness and light together. Because if it was all darkness, that's just what you're familiar with. You have to always have the two together. So having heavy light works that have a bit of darkness in it also gives that same push and pull effect and creates an emotion and a sense of ability about the work. Yeah, absolutely. What do you think of the show? Oh, I love the show. I love the show. And I'm sure you, more than me, of anybody would say it's a very emotional show too. And I think the emotion rides on what you've titled it, which is connections. And I think the whole value around connections is, you know, where your artist can be very isolated in our selves, in our practice. And I'd even say the art community can be very, very isolated and exclusive to some degree. So it can be a struggle as an artist of how do I get in there or how do I get in that gallery or how do I make networks with other artists or other spaces to position myself in the art sector. And I think that can be really disturbing and quite disruptive to a practice because if you're not in those spaces, you can get quite knocked and feel you're actually not part of a community. Whereas what you're doing is absolutely upholding that every artist, no matter what level, no matter what level of training, no matter, you know, whether we get residences in France or we're just shutting ourselves away in a studio. We're all part of a community, a community of artists that's meaningful and putting it all on display equally in a space as celebrating who we are as artists. And I think you've just done a wonderful thing. So I want to thank you so much for the exhibition. Thank you. That's a special show. Thank you so much. It is very special to me. Luckily, I haven't had a glass of wine and I probably would get emotional. But there's something about that. I think I love the fact that it's in a community gallery. That's how I see the podcast is bringing. It is celebrating all artists. Absolutely. And celebrating all people who are being creative. Yeah. And to me, everyone I've talked to is so talented and has so much to offer the art world and the world. And nobody is any better than anybody else. That's right, yeah. And I think it's nice to just put everyone together on the same playing field basically. Yeah, yeah. You know, I feel very supported. It's been nice to be able to bring everyone together. Absolutely. And I have realised that the podcast can. Is a community in itself. And I am sort of helping to form that community and bring people together through the podcast, which is not something I really initially thought would. You know, be a byproduct of it. Yeah. It feels really good for me to be able to do something like that. I feel like it's an important work. Yeah. And I think it's important to us all and to everyone as well. Because I think it's funny when you're talking about travel, because I just feel the nature of the show and the title connections. It's really enriching and culturally diversifying artists, because we can. I mean, when you think about travel, I did some trips to Africa way back in the days. But you always have this preconception of what Africa is going to be like and everyone, you know, speaks badly about, you know, kids starving and, you know, deprivation and, yeah, just more sad stories. So when you go over there, you have this idea of what it's going to be. But it wasn't like that. There was a lot of beauty, a lot of, you know, mingling with people and learning another language and, and incredibly enriching time. I wouldn't have had that experience based on what I heard other people say about it. And I think that's the same with art practices in general weekend. It's that isolated thing again, or especially if you go through institutions, you feel like you might be separated into, yeah, into a level or, you know, like what you're saying, but you might be too good for a community space or you might be, you know, in these different worlds and your practice. But if you are being connected with other artists, then you are allowing yourself to diversify and learn about other artists. And it's really warming. It's congregating as an art community. And being on that same plane field, like you say, it's just, it is, it enriches your practice. And I think that's what the show really has done. And like you see, you've built this community by, you know, through the podcast. And I think it doesn't matter where you are in the world, like you're saying with your travels, that's something that is lasting and can be built anywhere because of just the nature of what you're creating with this. And I really hope that the people listening who may not consider themselves artists or may not have really delved into their own creativity, I hope that they can gain something from the podcast and the stories as well. And then, you know, find those connections for themselves personally. It's not just about the artists, you know. And so, yeah, I think that's a great thing if it can inspire like that. Okay, so we have been all thinking about what we'd like to take home. What would be a work that you would love to own and why? Actually, the reason I settled on this piece is because of the show again, I think it's a great thing to do with this. I think it's a great thing to do with this. It's a great thing to do with this. related to my own work. - Yeah, yeah. - That's lovely. - We're gonna finish there. Thank you so much, Yvonne, for being here. It's been lovely to have you part of it. I just love, I mean, I find that we both, we both have been very busy and we are friends and we never connect properly, except when we have podcasts, chats. - Yeah. - So thank God for the podcast. It's lovely to see you. And thank you to my gorgeous guests, Chris, Carl, Data and Yvonne. For coming today, I really appreciate it in the middle of your weekend. Yeah, I hope that everyone listening can come to the show. It finishes on the 19th of July. It is a really beautiful show and it's such a way to, as I said, connect back to the episodes and hear the stories behind the process and the practice and the artists. So thank you very much for listening, everyone. And we'll see you next time for the next episode. Whenever that is. (upbeat music)