A Purple Pin is the highest recognition in the Best Design Awards for work that leads to advancement and programme design in Aotearoa New Zealand. The awards, delivered by the Designers Institute of New Zealand, celebrate excellence in graphic, spatial, product, digital and motion design and include three special awards – Value of Design, Public Good and Toitanga. The best entries in each category are awarded a Gold Pin and the very best project in each discipline is awarded the supreme Purple Pin.

Pro Vice-Chancellor of Toi Rauwhārangi College of the Creative Arts Professor Margaret Maile Petty says being awarded the Purple Pin in Toitanga is deep honour for the entire college.

“This is recognition of the extraordinary mahi of Māori artists working closely with mana whenua to bring this significant and beautiful taonga into being.”

The Purple Pin in Toitanga is a first for the university. Te Kāhui Toi also received two Gold Pins, one for the Toitanga category and another for Te Wairere category (lighting design). They were also awarded a Silver Pin in the Lighting Design Category.

Te Kāhui Toi is a team of artist-designers, supported by tohunga and tribal leaders, and guided by experts in their specialist knowledge. The judges acknowledged that the team’s mahi on Te Rau Karamu Marae reflects an extraordinary level of artistry, innovation and long periods of work that have gone into creation of a Marae of immense distinction. The judges’ comments were that the work was “A truly breathtaking take on what a marae can be. Flawlessly crafted with stunning detail and imagination.”

Professor Ngātai Taepa says the recognition and award is humbling.

“The calibre of the other finalists was outstanding and it is humbling to be in the company of such accomplished projects and fellow creatives. It is an honour to receive this award on behalf of Te Rau Karamu Marae, Pukeahu and Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa. It is an acknowledgement of tupuna wisdom, Māori creative arts, and the work of the many people involved in the creation of our marae. Nei rā te mihi o Te Kāhui Toi ki te iti, te rahi, te katoa.”

Te Rau Karamu has received longstanding guidance and support from Mana Whenua of Pukeahu Campus, Te Ātiawa, and operational support from the Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Māori. 

Deputy Vice-Chancellor Māori Professor Meihana Durie says since its opening in March, Te Rau Karamu Marae continues to receive plaudits from across Te Ao Māori and Te Ao Whānui for the level of artistry and depth of mātauranga that has gone into the project.

“Te Rau Karamu represents a living, breathing expression of kaupapa and mātauranga Māori, and provides a distinctive and uniquely Māori space upon Pukeahu Campus where staff and students can thrive in the processes of ako and wānanga.

“The success of Te Kāhui Toi is also reflective of their approach to undertaking this work, working closely and collaboratively alongside many contributors including Te Ātiawa kaumātua and pakeke.  It has taken an extraordinary level of commitment to achieve this outcome and Te Rau Karamu is testament to the vison that Te Kāhui Toi have carried through their work  ”

The detailed design of Te Rau Karamu Marae

The design of the wharenui ‘Te Whaioranga o Te Whaiao’ relates to a defined area within Te Waonui (the forest) and focused on the roles of atua such as Tāne Whakapiripiri and Hinewaonui in the creation of Te Rakau Tipua - the cosmic tree. This speaks of the connections to all things, which may be experienced by all of those who enter under its canopy and into its embrace, in ceremony guided by the spatial narrative.

The description for the award reads, “In terms of the architectural partnership and relationships with engineers and fabricators, the mutual respect for kaupapa, spatial and material aesthetics resulted in shared intentions, support and drive to pursue a resolved complex that reflects the highest values of mana and manaakitanga. The majestic maihi featuring glue-lamination techniques of native totara and requiring engineering problem-solving is a testament to these relationships.”

Here is more information on the Te Rau Karamu Marae description for the Best Design Awards.

Team members who received the award include Professor Ngataiharuru Taepa, Kura Puke, Hemi Macgregor, Saffronn Te Ratana, Stuart Foster, Wi Taepa, Israel Birch, Robert Jahnke, Maihi Potaka, Te Kahui Toi whanau whanui. Contributors include Te Matahiapō, Te Huirangi Waikerepuru, Mereiwa Broughton, Inahaa Waikerepuru, Te Ngaruru Wineera, Kurt Komene, Chaz Doherty, Rangi Mataamua, Kura Moeahu, Athfield Architects.

College of Creative Arts staff and students won a total of 45 Best Awards, one Purple Pin, six Gold Pins, 16 Silver Pins and 22 Bronze Pins.

Intersection of Illusory Digital and Tactilce Textiles,
Eve Ngamanu, 2020.

As part of the Threads festival, Ngā Pae Māhutonga Massey School of Design are exhibiting textile graduate work in a show called Whakatinana.

 For the exhibition, final-year students are asked to manifest their core aspirations. This request comes with both challenge and responsibility as the students learn to adapt to changing global situations. The resulting work embodies themes such as memory, identity, technology and process.

Senior Lecturer and exhibition curator Lisa Munnelly says, “This recent student work employs textiles as a mode of enquiry and includes projects employing jacquard knit and weave, to print, dye and quilting.”

Wellington’s public and dealer galleries are joining together for a third time to present the collaborative visual arts festival in March. Themed around textiles, the festival will shed light on contemporary and historical textile practices within the context of art in Aotearoa New Zealand, placing renewed emphasis on the medium.

A key event on the 2022 programme will be a one-day online symposium hosted by The Dowse Art Museum on Thursday 17 March in Lower Hutt. The symposium will provide a forum for artists, writers, curators, collectors and the general public to converge to share knowledge, network and engage in critical discussion and thought leadership.

Whakatinana exhibit details – 16-20 March

Participating designers:

Grace Carden-Horton

Gina Davey

Eva Ferguson-Rebenscheid

Eva Ngamanu

Phoebe Tims

Lauryn Tipper

Charlotte Wallis

Hours: 10am – 4pm

Location: Massey University, Level C, Te Ara Hihiko, Block 12, College of Creative Arts, Entrance C Wallace St, Wellington.

Professor Petty has held several senior roles in tertiary education, predominately in Australia. She most recently worked at the University of Technology in Sydney as the Executive Director Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Prior to this, she was the Head of the School of Design at Queensland University of Technology and Victoria University of Wellington.

Her professional leadership experience includes serving on the boards of the World Design Organisation, StartupAUS and Cicada Innovations. She is an ambassador for Good Design Australia and was a founding member of New Zealand’s design advocacy body, DesignCo.

Professor Petty completed an undergraduate degree at the University of Oregon where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts in History. She then attended Bard Graduate Centre in New York where she completed a MA in Design History. In 2016, she graduated from Victoria University Wellington with a PhD in Design History. 

She says she is conscious of the growing industry demands for innovative and creative thinkers and is experienced in developing and managing a wide spectrum of impactful initiatives, from reimagining curriculum to the creation of student entrepreneurship programs and opportunities, and transdisciplinary research groups and partnerships.

Her research broadly investigates the discourse, production, and consumption practices of the modern built environment, with a particular focus on artificial lighting and interiors. She has published broadly in academic journals such as the JSAH, Journal of Design History, Home Cultures, Interiors, and PLAT and is co-editor of Cities of Light: Two Hundred Years of Urban Illumination (Routledge, 2015) with Sandy Isenstadt and Dietrich Neumann, as well as Architectures of Display: Department Stores and Modern Retail (Ashgate, 2017) with Anca Lasc and Patricia Lara-Betancourt.

Professor Petty will join Massey on 7 February.

Massey University Vice-Chancellor Professor Jan Thomas says Professor Petty’s experience will be a huge asset to the university and CoCA.

“The interview panel and I were really impressed with Margaret’s professional experience. She has a wealth of experience as a senior leader and the proven ability to engage with the wider creative community, students and our staff. Please join me in welcoming Margaret to the Massey University whānau.”

Caitlin Snell - Highly Commended Fashion Design Award

Six students and graduates from the School of Design have received recognition at the 2021 ECC NZ Student Craft / Design Awards for their creative work.

The annual exhibition showcases the best work of tertiary students and recent graduates working across a variety of craft and design disciplines. The aim is to provide an opportunity for students to step into the creative industry with a coveted award to their name, as well as some financial assistance.

The six students and graduates that became finalists are:

• Laura Graham - Winner of Surface Design Award
• Caitlin Snell - Highly Commended - Fashion Design Award
• Jing Hé - Highly Commended - Fashion Design Award
• Jacqueline Solis - Highly Commended - Innovation in Sustainability Award
• Eva Ngamanu – Highly Commended – Surface Design Award
• Ella Brownrigg – Highly Commended – Surface Design Award

Senior Lecturer and Programme Leader in Fashion Sue Prescott says the students have done well to receive these accolades despite another year of COVID interruptions.

“Laura picked up new skills with the extra time she had this year with various lockdowns. She learnt rug making and started to experiment with 3D forms using 2D techniques to build Leopard Vest with some old coffee sacks as her base cloth.

“The determination our students have shown to meet the challenges of interrupted studio time are commendable. They’ve had to be flexible to adapt to new ideas, materials and methods at short notice, whilst upholding their sustainable values at all times.”

Surface Design Award winner Laura Graham says her winning piece Leopard Rug Vest was created at home during the lockdown.

"Leopard Rug Vest is an excerpt of my graduate collection Sow’s Ear / Silk Purse. This collection of curated, created and converted curio reintroduces social values into obsolete found artefacts. A series of upcycling practices alongside intricate symbolic surface design are brewed for a potion that rivals the flatness of commodity fetishism.

“My vest was met with great enthusiasm when introduced back into university after its creation at home. I am thankful for my mentors and peers in the fashion department for their attentive support and zeal for eccentricity.”

Caitlin Snell, whose work was highly commended in the Fashion Design Award category, says she was pleasantly surprised with the result.

“I had entered my collection with very few expectations because the method and execution of my pieces is very different due to the influence the pandemic had at the time. It was such an awesome feeling finding out I was a finalist. I am excited to keep creating!”

Lecturer & Major Co-ordinator in Textile Design Angela Kilford, Te Whanau A Kai, Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Kahungunu, says the awards provide an insight into the future of design, through outstanding design projects by Aotearoa’s finest emerging talent.

“Ella Brownrigg’s aptly named project Patterns of the Pandemic is described by the designer as a ‘textile time capsule of the moment’. This rhetoric could be applied to the exhibition as a whole, in that all of these projects have been produced under the extra pressure and stress of a global pandemic. In this context, each and every finalist should be highly commended. A very special congratulations to winner Dan Collings whose jacquard knit project looks at ways of creating fashion by exploring the view of gender as a spectrum rather than as binary.”

Work by (clockwise from top left) Charlotte Mangos, Jaedyn Randell, Lauryn Tipper, Jill Miller, Ben Lowe and Jean Donaldson.

Exhibitor examples

Exhibitor Charlotte Mangos, whose collection Masculinity with a Flare explores gender stereotypes, says her collection is conceptual and she hopes it could be commercial in the future. “My collection aims to challenge masculine stereotypes in the fashion industry through the use of colour, print and silhouette. Masculinity with a Flare is a bright, bold collection that not only challenges men’s fashion but showcases how colour and print can be used to make a statement on the street.”

Jaedyn Randell has produced a five track EP in Te Reo Māori and English that highlights significant moments in her life. “As a proud wāhine Māori, I set out to promote and celebrate my language and culture through my music,” she says. Jaedyn’s EP is self-recorded and was made by recording the instrumentals and vocals separately before mixing her waiata.

Lauryn Tipper’s textile collection promotes the New Zealand wool industry, a market that has been declining since the introduction of synthetics in the 1960s. “The fact that there is such an under-utilised fibre in Aotearoa inspired me to create an interior textile print collection that celebrating its versatility and potential for expansion in the textile market,” she says.

Jean Donaldson, from the visual communication design specialty, has created a book called Tiaki, an illustrated tribute to the less charismatic members of Aotearoa’s endangered community. Jean’s project is aimed at getting young people interested in conservation. She has also recently signed a print contract for the book.

Ben Lowe’s photographic series Echoes of the Pulse showcases landscape photos of Wellington’s south coast taken at night with long exposure. Ben says the photos engage with time. “The images are the result of responding to circumstance and the senses, bringing the light of the coastal landscape and the stars together.”

Jill Miller’s industrial design project Somnum is a pet anaesthesia mask with potential for commercial development as it poses a solution to a real-world problem. Jill says she designed Somnum to be a non-invasive, easy-to-use and safer option for veterinary staff.

Christian is in his third year at Massey, specialising in Contemporary Visual Arts and Toi Māori. He works with paintings and ready-made sculptures as well as other disciplines throughout his classes.

Christian has a busy schedule, juggling his own studies as well as mentoring students, but says he always manages to find the right balance.

 “The organisation required to do my own studies and be a mentor could be a degree in itself! But everything is a give and take and you must be willing to compromise, knowing that with your passion comes the work needed for it. If I find that I have too much on my plate, I look for ways I can be more productive. After a busy week, I save the weekend to spend time with my whānau.”

Christian says he has always been passionate about art.

“From a young age, I always found art the best way to express myself. When I went to schools growing up, I found it easy to crack jokes and laugh with others, but discussing my inner emotions was something I was never comfortable with. I use art as a spiritual tool, and a method to help me converse with others. Whether it would be my physical or mental wellbeing, or my vulnerabilities. Choosing this degree has created a cool sense of independency for myself and has allowed me to be more open with people.”

“Most importantly I do this now for my family and reconnecting with my whakapapa. My parents have given me everything and continue to give me everything I need to stay on my feet. My brothers have been role models and shown me the greatest support. When I finish my degree, I want to pay them back with the same love and support.

“The Tukutuku Māori mentorship programme was created to provide support for Māori students at Massey, whether that be educational, daily life support, counselling or any other ways help can be offered. We have great support, in particular our Māori staff who guide us in how we approach and tackle issues and avoid risks when it comes to helping students and making changes in the systems.

“Although we are fairly new, we have managed to hold our first study wānanga in August. We also reached out and got in contact with all of our Māori students during the recent lockdown to see if they were in need of any support or needed supplies to get them through. We are a collective of experienced staff who work to take care of our students. We are also students who have multiple years of university study under us, whether that be two, three or four years of study. It makes more sense to have mentors with multiple years of study because they have had the full experience of two semesters of work. We focus on looking out for all our students, not just those in their first year of study. Although we are called mentors, students who get involved in the programme contribute just as much to helping and supporting each other.

Christian says he joined the mentoring programme in this year because he wanted to make a change and help others.

“I became a mentor because of my experiences at Massey. On occasion, lecturers wouldn’t quite appreciate my point of view, or looked past particular areas of my work. While it was disappointing, I never took it to heart – some classes have a high number of students so the lecturer doesn’t have the time. But I know other students, particularly first year students, may not appreciate this feeling.

“I expected to learn just about art, but I came across all sorts of topics and subjects that dealt with political and social issues. I then started to have big conversations with friends and other students who were also Māori or Pacific about their struggles while studying. It then became clear to me that I should help them.”

“Being a mentor while still being a is a great area to make meaningful chances for Māori and Pasifika students. As a mentor and a student, we can speak for other students that want to facilitate change, to both staff and other students. It's much better for students to hear another student’s perspective because we relate more to each other.”

“I also want to see students get through university and not give up due to any difficulties they may be facing in their programme of study.”

Christian says being a good mentor is never planning how you can help students, but rather listening and understanding where they need help.

“The thing you need to keep in mind is regardless of the difficulties you may have faced, or the things you think they might need help with, every person is different and has their own struggles. Being there, listening, learning, and understanding what they need help with is important before you can take action to bring forth change.”

4 tha Lumana’I 2018

Anonymouz receiving his tatau with Su’a Suluape Paulo Jr 2015

Zené Krige

Troix Kokich

Two Toi Rauwhārangi College of Creative Arts graduates have been shortlisted by design industry experts for the ARTSTHREAD Global Design Graduate Show 2021 in collaboration with GUCCI.

The 2021 show is the second edition of the initiative, and was open to all art and design students who graduated in the year 2020-2021, whether at undergraduate, graduate or postgraduate level, anywhere in the world.

Industrial design graduate Zené Krige and visual communication design graduate Troix Kokich both made it to the shortlisting phase of the show, out of 5211 students worldwide who submitted their end of year projects.

ARTSTHREAD’s panel of independent expert judges included representatives from companies such as Nike, Apple, WarnerMedia, and the United Nations.

Zené Krige is shortlisted for her autonomous herbicide vehicle Trax, which was designed with farmers in mind. Using image sensing technologies and three different herbicides, Trax is able to locate and map weeds in selected fields.

Zené says the project was initiated by a desire to design an impactful product that delivers benefits to farmers while exploring the relationship we have with autonomous devices and their data. The design also looks at sustainable practice, minimising chemical waste and herbicide resistance, and a future where treating weeds with minimal to no chemicals is a reality.

“I have always been interested in robotics and the relationships and interactions we have with them. Trax allows for the expression of these interests to overlap, and for design to be presented in an area which is often engineering-driven.”

Zené says the support and mentorship of the university’s industrial design staff enabled her project to grow from an idea into a protoype.

To find out more and vote for Trax, click here.

Troix Kokich made the shortlist for Care Package – a wellbeing resource kit for natural disaster victims that serves as a conceptual exploration into how communication design can help manage and facilitate mental health recovery following disasters.

Troix says the idea for his design came from watching bushfires ravage Australia in early 2020. After researching disaster relief systems, Troix found that most disaster victims experience mental distress such as anxiety or stress, yet effective wellbeing resources following such traumatic events are uncommon.

Care package provides a mixture of methods for improving wellbeing after disasters, under the framework of providing support, security and entertainment with families in mind.

Troix says developing his project at Massey was integral to its success. “I think Care Package would’ve turned out a lot less developed if it wasn’t for all the like-minded people at Massey who helped me scope and critique my project, even when it wasn’t what I wanted to hear.”

Troix says it’s an honour to be recognised on a global scale, and it makes the late nights and coffees past 9pm worth it.

To find out more and vote for Care Package, click here.

Professor Brian Lucid, head of Ngā Pae Māhutonga, Wellington School of Design, says the school is incredibly proud of the two graduates.

“Zene and Troix being shortlisted in the world’s largest and most competitive showcase of recent graduate work reflects the excellence of their designs. Congratulations to them and the faculty and staff who have supported them through their studies.”

The panel of judges will select their winners, and there is also a public vote which allows the public to view the submissions and select their favourite. Public voting is now open, and runs through until Wednesday 13 October, with winners announced on Monday 18 October.

Immersive Technology Lecturer Maddy King.

From next year, students studying the Bachelor of Creative Media Production at Massey’s College of Creative Arts can add immersive technology to their study journey. Immersive Media joins Game Development, Animation, VFX, Film and Television, Producing and Directing and Creative Technologies.

The Immersive Media pathway involves learning the tools to use Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) for creative expression and social impact. Students will learn how to bring their visions to life by creating digital environments that no one has ever seen before, to impact and change the way people see the world. 

The introduction of Immersive Media also provides exciting new opportunities for students who are studying across the suite of programmes in the school and college. The technology is already common place in game production and these tools are now being adopted for virtual production in the film and TV industries.

Maddy King, who is leading the course, says Immersive Media will suit students who are creative hands-on risk-takers, with a passion to innovate and lead in this emerging sector.

“Skills in immersive media will offer students career pathways into sectors that are investing billions into this new technology. Nearly twenty per cent of the entire Facebook team are employed in their Reality Labs – that’s 10,000 people exclusively working in virtual and augmented reality. VR and AR are already fundamentally changing agriculture, healthcare, architecture, crisis management, workplace training, manufacturing and design. It is the perfect time for students to learn the skills to use these tools to tell our stories and add value to our growing entertainment sector.

“We are inviting artists and technologists excited to tackle this medium and develop new experiences. We want imaginative and inventive creatives who are keen to explore and become leaders of tomorrow's creative industries,” she adds.

This new subject area is creative practice-based, and students will need to be keen and interested in working with new technologies. No prior experience of computer coding or electronics is required for entrance into the degree.

The facilities at The School of Music and Creative Media Production are world class, with new and emerging technologies highly resourced.

“As we move forward into the future, there is a need for education to embrace new ways of working and learning. What’s exciting about this new programme is that VR and AR pioneers will have the opportunity to write the rules and shape the direction of that future.

“This is an opportunity to be at the very forefront of innovation and creativity. The School of Music and Creative Media Production at Massey University is excited to be jumping in.”

See our video and learn more about the Immersive Media course here or email cmp@massey.ac.nz for further information.

Class of 2018 - graduating 2021.

Massey University’s College of Creative Arts Toi Rauwhārangi has been granted renewal of substantial equivalency from the United States accreditation body, the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).

Professor Claire Robinson, Pro Vice-Chancellor of the College, says she is delighted to have the standing confirmed once more.

“‘Substantial equivalency’ is a long-winded way of saying that on the international stage, our art and design degrees level-peg with some of the best in the world. We are one of only a small number to achieve this status and the only Art and Design School in New Zealand to do so. This year we are excited by the inclusion of a large number of our new programmes.

“While it is not possible to gain ‘accreditation’ outside of the United States, gaining ‘substantial equivalency’ means our art and design degrees are certified as on a par with qualifications from some of the world’s most prestigious institutions, including Rhode Island School of Design and CalArts,” Professor Robinson adds.

The College of Creative Arts Toi Rauwhārangi comprises New Zealand’s oldest and largest School of Design Nga Pae Mahutonga, the School of Art Whiti o Rehua, and the School of Music and Creative Media Production Te Rewa o Puanga. 

In NASAD’S assessment of Massey’s Creative Arts programmes, it included in its commendation the following:

“The Commission commends the institution for its deliberate, thoughtful, and compelling considerations of curricular programs and the support they provide to students. The well-prepared materials outlined clearly the ‘stair-cased’ competencies and included a discussion of the analysis of time to degree, resources, size and scope, community engagement, business partnerships, and preparation for professional practices.

“The Commission commends the institution for its discussions ‘of the potential impact of creative work on audiences’ and its effort to intertwine this issue with its community’s ‘creative, cultural, and socio-political’ histories.”

Internationally the College continues to get accolades from other quarters.

“For the fourth year in a row the College was reaffirmed as number one in New Zealand for art and design (QS rankings), and in the top 50-100 worldwide by World University QS subject areas – the only art and design school to be in that bracket in New Zealand,” Professor Robinson says.

“Back on the national design stage, in 2020 we demonstrated why we have great international rankings, with 48 projects by Toi Rauwharangi students, staff and graduates being finalists in the Designers Institute of New Zealand Best Design Awards. Since the awards inception, which is seriously contested both nationally and internationally across the industry, Massey students have made up nearly a third of all student finalists and have had a staggering 255 award winners as of last year. We have high hopes for this year’s awards.

“To ensure a 21^st century curriculum with the student experience and learning at its core, our programmes acknowledge the increasingly permeable nature of the creative industries today and an external environment in which employment outcomes are no longer pre-determined,” Professor Robinson adds.

“A key part of our success is the cross-disciplinary approach that provides opportunities for students to self-select from a broad range of technical learning not confined to their own major. We also encourage students to learn from each other through collaboration, and in the provision of as much real-life experience as possible before they leave.”

The full list of programmes to reach ‘Substantial Equivalency’ are:

Renewal has been granted for:

Graduate Diploma in Design

Postgraduate Diploma in Design

Postgraduate Diploma in Fine Arts

Bachelor of Design with Honours and Bachelor of Design

Bachelor of Fine Arts with Honours and Bachelor of Fine Arts

Master of Design

Master of Fine Arts

Doctor of Philosophy

Newly granted substantial equivalency:

Certificate in Visual Arts

Diploma in Visual Arts

Diploma in Fine Arts

Diploma in Design

Graduate Diploma in Fine Arts

Postgraduate Certificate in Creative Arts

Postgraduate Diploma in Māori Visual Arts

Bachelor of Māori Visual Arts

Bachelor of Creative Media Production with Honours (three-year degree, plus honours year)

Master of Creative Enterprise

Master of Māori Visual Arts

Programmes which will be granted substantial equivalency once they have graduating students:

Bachelor of Design (Hons) and Bachelor of Design - Concept Design

Bachelor of Design (Hons) and Bachelor of Design - Integrated Design

The overall winning entry and winner of one of five traditional media awards was Molly Campbell of St Margaret’s College with her guardian Wareware Wareware, a character who is protective of biodiversity and encompasses features of the extinct Huia, Moa, Haast eagle and greater short-tailed bat.

Around 367 young people entered the competition, including 41 international entries. Entrants were tasked with creating a character to defend the earth, using nature and the elements to inspire their designs. They were also asked to supply details about where the character lives, its special powers and links to specific places, myths, legends, customary Māori narratives and deities.

Wētā Workshop’s Art Director Rebekah Tisch says the decision was made to give the overall award to Molly as the design was nuanced, considered and showed bold design decision-making. “The design is packed full with lots of interesting details, yet works well as a whole and doesn’t feel cluttered or piecemeal. The artwork itself is clear and confident,” says Mrs Tisch.

She also applauded Molly’s use of extinct fauna within the design.

For her efforts Molly won a Wacom 16” Cintiq Pen Display, as well as a $100 prize pack from Gordon Harris for also winning one of the five traditional media awards.

The supreme winner of the international entries was Puntita Chantapoon of Thailand for her design Lūk h̄ŵā (ลูกหว้า), a guardian that leaves flowers wherever it walks and acts as a forest guard.

The Create With Us Award sponsored by Wellington School of Design Ngā Pae Māhutonga was given to Nyle Turuwhenua from Pukekohe High School and Ngāi Tūhoe for her guardian Te tamāhine nā Papatūānuku. She is a demigoddess with the ability to manipulate her environment and whose powers lie in her handcrafted dress, made by traditional weaving practice and materials gifted from Papatūānuku.

Litania Borrell from Epsom Girls’ Grammar School won the Moana Oceania Narratives Award for her guardian Aituā, a character who resides in the earth’s atmosphere and relieves places and people of their negative energy through precipitation.

The Te Ao Māori Award went to Te Aroha Pokai Harrison-Kaa of Ngati Porou, Ngati Uepohatu and Sonrise Christian School in Gisborne.

Her guardian Te Hākuturi are the eyes and ears of the trees and plague anyone who desecrates nature. Judge for this award, A44 concept artist Hamish Fraser, says Te Aroha’s character stood out to him. “The story of Te Hākuturi pertained well to the competition’s themes, whilst suggesting a world beyond this character alone, which I thought was pretty cool. I can definitely imagine encountering this creature, and others like it, whilst hiking through Tāne’s domain across Aotearoa.”

The best game concept awards went to Te Aroha Pokai Harrison-Kaa for Te Hākuturi, Ying by Junjie Wang, Sanctuary by Anabel Wu, Nganara Haurua by Jake Hainsworth and Whalien H20 by Daniel Shin. These winners each receive prize packs from award sponsor PikPok.

Traditional media awards went to Uuma By Rata Shaw, Nganara Haurua by Jake Wainsworth, Wareware Wareware by Molly Campbell, Tellus by Preston Holder and Eeva by Mikah Buchanan. These students all win $100 prize packs from Gordon Harris The Art & Graphic Store.

Spotswood College in New Plymouth won the Top School Award and will receive a visit from designers from Wētā Workshop. Highly commended schools were ACG Parnell, Epsom Girls’ Grammar School, Hamilton Girls’ High School, Macleans College and Pukekohe High School.

Ten winners selected by the public in the Wētā Workshop Rising Stars Highly Commended Awards will receive $150 towards travel to Wellington for a concept design experience and a tour of Wētā Workshop. Voting begins on 13 August.

Competition judges included representatives from Wētā Workshop, Adobe, Massey University and PikPok. Art Director Paul Tobin from Wētā Workshop says the judging panel were overwhelmed by the level of awesome entries they received. “The level of inventiveness, attention to design detailing and beautifully written explanations was amazing. It made for some very spirited discussion amongst the design studio, and it was a tremendous challenge to narrow the entries down to a small number of finalists.”

Concept Artist Hamish Fraser says it was a real pleasure for him to be back judging again. “This year’s submissions definitely set the bar, making the process a really enjoyable one. It was great to see such a variety of strong ideas and styles, some making me smile and chuckle.”

Concept design uses traditional art and digital mediums to create concepts for new objects, characters or environments. It can include anything from designing characters, creatures, props, vehicles and machines to building entire worlds that form the foundations of feature films, theme parks, events, toys or exhibits.

A huge thank you to Gordon Harris The Art & Graphic Store, PikPok and Adobe Creative Educators for their sponsorship of the awards.

To find out more about the awards, click here.

More information about concept design at Massey University is available here.

The two-day event will be held on Friday 30 and Saturday 31 July from 9am to 4pm and will feature a mixture of live and pre-recorded sessions with academic staff who will speak to the range of study options available. Attendees can chat in real time with staff through the online engagement tool, The Access Platform. 

In August, Campus Visit Days in Auckland, Manawatū and Wellington will allow people to meet staff, and get a sense of the campuses, facilities, accommodation, in person. 

National Events and Sponsorship Manager Kelly Douglas says hosting an online event over two days is about making it as easy as possible for people to discover information, in a way that works for them, especially in the environment we are currently operating in due to COVID-19. 

“With the ongoing threat of COVID-19 and unplanned lockdowns, we want to ensure we offer the opportunity for people to connect with us, regardless of what comes our way. We understand everyone’s schedules are busy and often people are juggling work, study, families and other commitments. We saw how successful these online events were last year and how people across Aotearoa and the world appreciated the flexibility, so we’re proud to be offering this again.”

Almost 5,000 people visited the Open Days platform last year, more than double the number of people who attended the in-person events in 2019. Attendees ranged from 18 years old to over 65 and joined from 78 countries world-wide.

First-year student Shannon Aislabie chose to study a Bachelor of Business with a double major in Marketing and Property after attending a Virtual Open Day from home, followed by a Campus Visit Day, last year.

“Not only was I provided with amazing information on the Virtual Open Days, but my experience of visiting the campus really tied everything together and allowed me to confirm my decision was right for me. Open Days included lots of useful information about all aspects of university life [and then] I got to familiarise myself with the space and campus that I was choosing to attend. I felt so comfortable and welcomed at Massey University.”

She says the regular communication and reminders in the lead up to the events were helpful and gave her a sense of how Massey communicates with students, which has continued as she began studying.

“Massey is doing an incredible job at looking after new students. They have guided me so well over the last few months. They cater for everyone and strive to make their students the best they can possibly be. I would recommend Massey University to absolutely everyone.” 

Shannon decided to study business with a focus on property and marketing, due to the varied career opportunities in those industries. 

“Property is my main interest as it is an ever-changing field, and it is very relevant all the time. Marketing ties in well to this, which is why I decided to complete the double major. Business is such an open market and there is room for growth and change [in] society, and therefore I believed that business is the best pathway for me.”

The Virtual Open Days programme is now live. Explore the programme and register your interest to be in the draw to win an Apple iPad.

Distinguished Professor Emeritus Paul Spoonley 

Distinguished Professor Emeritus Paul Spoonley , who retired in April 2021, is recognised for his extensive contribution to both academia and Massey University.

His publications include 27 books, 58 book chapters, 76 refereed academic articles, as well as being a prominent media commentator. Distinguished Professor Emeritus Paul Spoonley was made a distinguished professor in 2013 and also served as Pro-Vice Chancellor of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Upon his retirement, Distinguished Professor Emeritus Spoonley was made an honorary research fellow for the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and will continue his work looking at sociological trends in New Zealand.

National Geographic cover shot by Robin Hammond.

National Geographic cover shot by Robin Hammond.

Internationally acclaimed documentary photographer and Massey alumni Robin Hammond recently made a visit to the Wellington campus to meet with his former lecturers and students.

Mr Hammond’s work focuses on amplifying the stories of marginalised groups through visual storytelling and has graced the covers of National Geographic and Time Magazine. He shared stories from his career as a photojournalist and his not-for-profit organisation Witness Change with students in a guest lecture and student workshop.

Mr Hammond studied an “intensive” two-year Diploma in Photography at the Wellington School of Design, graduating in 2001, and was welcomed into Toi Rauwhārangi College of Creative Arts’ Hall of Fame Te Pae Tātāriki in 2014.

He credits his photography diploma with exposing him to what photography could do. “When I started studying I knew that I vaguely liked photography and maybe there could be a job at the end of it, but the lecturers exposed us to the work of some of the really committed photojournalists who were working on social change issues and I was really inspired by that. Within two or three months of being at Massey I knew that was the direction I wanted to go.

“I have to say that was probably two of the most exciting years of my life. I don't think it's an understatement to say that I was taught to literally see the world differently. It really opened my eyes to a new possibility for what my life could be. I totally credit the passion of the lecturers for photography and a big part of that was exposing me to the work that had come before me from traditional photojournalism practice and they [the lecturers] have always been a constant encouragement.”

After graduating, Mr Hammond worked at the New Zealand Listener before moving to London. His first job was scanning negatives in the basement of a photo agency, during the time when photography was moving from film to digital. “I got a job in the north of England at a photo agency and that was probably my real start, and has been my only actual salaried job as a photographer. It was an amazing and steep learning curve in that I was doing two, three, four jobs a day, every day, working six or seven days a week – it was a real sweat shop, but it was an amazing learning opportunity.”

Mr Hammond has gone on to win multiple awards including two World Press Photo prizes, the RF Kennedy Journalism Award, six Pictures of the Year International Awards, the W. Eugene Smith Award for Humanistic Photography, six Amnesty International awards for Human Rights journalism and was named by Foreign Policy as one of the 100 Leading Global Thinkers in 2015.

He says getting his work first published in National Geographic and on the covers of National Geographic and Time Magazine were huge career milestones, as was winning the W. Eugene Smith award in 2013. “I remember very clearly when it was announced that I won, his work was a massive influence on me. Like a lot of artists I suffer from imposter syndrome, and I think having my work recognised at that level when I knew that some of the best photojournalists in the world have won that award really made me feel that maybe I could do something with my work.”

His not for profit organisation Witness Change was created to amplify the voices of marginalised groups. At the moment, it has three main areas of focus: Where Love is Illegal, for LGBTQ+ people who live in countries where who they are or who they love makes them illegal; In My World, which focuses on mental health stories around the world and amplifies the voices of people living with mental health conditions; and 1000 Dreams, a refugee project which is stories about/by refugees in order for refugees to take back control of the narratives of their lives.

The organisation relies on volunteers from all over the world and organisations who offer their services pro-bono. Mr Hammond says for him, doing this work is his obligation as a privileged person. “I was largely motivated to found Witness Change out of frustration. I had covered some really important work for some of the biggest newspapers in the world but I didn't see that translated into change for the people whose lives I was documenting.

“I was deeply moved by their stories and felt a level of obligation to them and I realised that raising awareness wasn't necessarily going to be enough. I had to have this much more change-focused approach to the storytelling. And I had to be able to ensure that if there were other people who were moved like me by these people's situations, that they had an avenue to be able to support them because I think the great injustice of our world is that your health/life outcomes comes down to essentially an accident of where you're born.

“I don't feel like what I do is a good thing, I feel it's an obligation that I have to carry out in order to support people that I meet in my work.”

He will stay in New Zealand until July with his wife and 16-month-old child while they spend time with family, before returning to the United Kingdom to carry on the 1000 Dreams project. “That will keep us going for the rest of the year,” he says.  He also has ongoing work as part of a grant from the National Geographic society, and some more mental health work in South Sudan.

“Every time I come back to New Zealand I try to get in touch with my lecturers and do workshops like this. The world of photography is pretty small really. It's amazing just being back here. This place definitely holds a special place in my heart and I feel the roots of my career started here.”

Image courtesy of UNLESS ©️ Delfino Sisto Legnani.

Image courtesy of UNLESS ©️ Delfino Sisto Legnani.

Professor Noble's Bitch in Slippers (2008) features in the book.

Antarctic Resolution, a multidisciplinary project co-authored by the world’s leading experts on the Antarctic, has just been launched in Italy and features the work of photographer Distinguished Professor Anne Noble, from Massey’s Whiti o Rehua School of Art.

The 1000-page book was released at the Biennale Architettura 2021 in Venice on the eve of the 200th anniversary of the first recorded sighting of Antarctica.

Antarctic Resolution is the first publication on the Antarctic that attempts to offer a multidisciplinary, high-resolution image of our southernmost continent. Edited by Giulia Foscari/UNLESS, and co-authored by 150 leading polar experts, the volume presents the collective research in the form of authored texts, photographic essays, and data-based visual portfolios.

Articulated in three main sections – geopolitics, science, and architecture – the publication includes the first census of Antarctic architectures, conceived as an open access archive which aims to foster reduction of the contaminating anthropogenic footprint on the continent.

Professor Noble’s projects Bitch in Slippers, Piss Poles, Ice Blink, Whiteout and a series of images from the book The Last Road, feature throughout the book.

“My work has been included for its critical engagement with the histories of Antarctic representation and visualisation of human presence in Antarctica,” she says. “It is a privilege for this work to find a home within such a significant global transdisciplinary project that includes the most eminent Antarctic scientists, humanities scholars and artists, many of whom I have had the privilege to meet, both in Antarctica and elsewhere.”

Professor Noble, who was awarded the Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2003 for services to photography, visited Antarctica as New Zealand Arts Fellow and a United States National Science Foundation Fellow. Her books include Ice Blink: An Antarctic Imaginary (2011), These Rough Notes (2012) and The Last Road (2013).

Antarctic Resolution is premiered at “How will we live together?”, the 17th International Architecture Exhibition curated by Hashim Sarkis, Dean of the School of Architecture and Planning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Exhibited within the Central Pavilion of the Giardini della Biennale, the research is presented alongside the symbolic snow goggles worn by Captain Robert Scott while crossing the Antarctic, and the pioneering Antarctic Suit designed by D-Air Lab in collaboration with UNLESS, as a portable environment which enables survival on the hostile white desert.

The book’s editor, Giulia Foscari Widmann Rezzonico, is an architect, researcher and writer. She is the founder of UNA, an architecture studio focused on cultural projects, and of its alter ego UNLESS, a non-profit agency for change devoted to interdisciplinary research on extreme environments threatened by the planetary crisis.

The Governor General Dame Patsy Reddy and Troy Kingi.

Providing space for Māori artists to create

Mr Kingi said he was elated after the performance. “I suppose it was a little daunting at first, but once I got up there, I had a lot of fun. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to play in a place like this and it’s a little bit surreal.”

He says the residency removed a lot of the stress of recording an album. “We didn’t have to worry about where we were staying, where we were recording, how we were going to pay everyone and that’s always good when you want to be creative – although sometimes being stressed can be good for being creative as well!

“The Massey studio is amazing. Beautiful studio – it’s such a big space, and Delaney and I used the whole space with gear everywhere. I have to say – the drum room next to the control room has some of the best drum sounds I’ve ever heard recorded so it’s a good facility.”

Kahautu Māori at Toi Rauwhārangi, Ngataiharuru Taepa, says Matairangi Mahi Toi Māori is an acknowledgment of its location first and foremost on Pukeahu, and “the responsibility and privilege we have as Toi Rauwhārangi and ­­Te Ranga Tai Kura (Māori and Pacific Arts Development Team) to welcome our practitioners, our experts, and in collaboration with the Governor General and Government House, to provide them with a space that is free for them to explore their art form.

“For us our greatest reward is for our students to be with the practitioners and see them practice, and the intangible things that come from that. That’s the real reward that comes from that kaupapa.”

Mr Taepa says it was not a requirement for Mr Kingi to produce an entire album during the residency, but “that is the outcome of allowing magic people to do what they do and create magic.

“It’s important to provide a space and sanctuary for artists to get away from routine or responsibility and just be able to create. That is really important for those of us who’ve worked on the residency, for artists to be able to create on their own terms.”

Dancers: Ooshcon, New Zealand School of Dance and off the street

The pre-recorded production is projected onto a 25 metre wall

 

Massey University senior lecturer Jason O’Hara’s Master’s project has taken him thousands of miles away to Antarctica and now he has brought it home to share with a new audience.

A designer, photographer and video artist at the Wellington School of Design, Mr O’Hara’s Master’s thesis inspired the creation of Where Memories Sleep, an immersive cine-dance production that explores the effects of climate change in Antarctica and is now showing at Porirua’s Pātaka Art + Museum until 11 July.

A collaboration with musician Associate Professor Warren Maxwell of the School of Music and Creative Media Production, Where Memories Sleep is an immersive, multimedia installation that uses storytelling to connect New Zealanders with the scientific world of Antarctica.

Mr O’Hara’s journey to bringing this production to life began in 2016, when he and Dr Maxwell travelled to Scott Base as part of Antarctica New Zealand’s community engagement programme. They stayed for three weeks visiting various science projects, including linking up with Professor Ian Hawes’s team from Waikato University and the Korean Polar Research Institute. There, the team’s divers swum under frozen ice, mapping the sea bed to study the effects on it from climate change.

During this visit they had the opportunity to capture images, sounds and video which Mr O’Hara says “created a fantastic creative resource and validated his Master’s research from a science perspective.”

“My Master’s was around engaging new audiences with Antarctica and the science that happens there. I had this opportunity so I thought how can I build it into a Master’s thesis and build a resource for this audience.”

In 2018, Mr O’Hara was invited to return to Scott Base, this time embedded within Professor Hawes’ science team extensively documenting their work by sending down remote cameras to follow the divers and pitching in with the many manual tasks around the team’s remote campsites, including digging the dive holes in the ice, carrying equipment and managing cameras – regularly in temperatures below -20°c.

The first Where Memories Sleep production in the full-dome at Wellington’s SpacePlace was created around the themes explored in his thesis, using the material he and Dr Maxwell had gathered from their time there.

As a result of the popularity of this first installation, Pātaka invited the pair to make a second version of the production and this time decided to involve a wider team of creatives, many of whom are from Massey University.

Senior Lecturer at the School of Design Sue Prescott created costumes, Mr O’Hara’s son Ruben, a Creative Media Production graduate, helped with visual effects, his daughter Lauren from Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School helped with continuity and recording behind the scenes footage, Connor Masseurs aka Ooshcon choreographed the dances with dancers from New Zealand School of Dance and off the street, and Visual Communication Design students and graduates helped with the crew.In addition, Senior Lecturer at Wellington School of Design Antony Nevin is currently designing certain aspects for four special live events to celebrate Matariki.

“We just love helping young creatives fulfill their goals to the ability to involve them in the project is pretty special,” Mr O’Hara says. 

It is this collaboration of mediums that has enabled Mr O’Hara to successfully achieve his goal of creating “stealth” science, by “bringing in a new audience to see a piece of entertainment that is all informed by science. Antarctica is a window to the past and simultaneous a ‘canary in the coal mine’ for the changes happening now.”

The pre-recorded production is projected onto a 25 metre wall that wraps around the audience and tells the narrative of a young explorer who answers the call to venture south, where she discovers an icy realm of exotic creatures, falls in love and is gifted the memories of the world by a powerful kaitiaki. It concludes with her return home leaving her heartbroken love to sing a song of lament so beautiful that it lights the night sky until her return.

Through the performance the audience can hear the sounds of real life seal calls, wind and footprints walking on the ice, they can see videos of divers below the ice and images of mountain ranges and a vast icy landscape.

Mr O’Hara says they gathered some spectacular shots on their travels and they could have turned it into a documentary, “but doing that would only add to the existing pool of other amazing documentaries that science and nature fans would lap up and that’s not the new audience we are after. We’ve taken a trojan horse strategy to attract new audiences by packaging the science as entertainment.”

He says they strategically made it an installation event that an audience would ideally go to watch with others rather than watching alone online. “When you go to a live show you often go with other people, and this gives a great opportunity for them to discuss what is a deliberately metaphoric narrative. Starting a discussion which hopefully acts as a gateway to the science that inspired it.”

He touches on ecophobia, where issues such as climate change seem too overwhelming so people don’t begin to make small changes– so he says creating an installation project can starts to disrupt or counteract this phobia.

“If there are enough projects around [climate change] it helps reinforce a new norm of discussion, so people then realise everyone’s talking about climate change– increasing the chance of changes in behavior. Even if we get one new audience member just a little bit engaged, they’re now primed for the next message they come across. We like to encourage the notion that although nobody can do everything, everyone can do something.”

The live performances for Matariki will be held on 30 June (matinee for school children and evening performance) and evening performances on 1, 2 and 3 July at Pātaka Art + Museum.