Massey University’s College of Creative Arts has partnered with the National Library of New Zealand to develop a pilot Pasifika Arts Residency.
The residency grants a graduate student of Pacific descent free access to the Pacific Collections, research librarians and other staff and resources at National Library for a full business week.
2018 design graduate Lili Lovell-Wood is the inaugural artist and will be working and researching in the library from Monday 24 – Friday June 28.
Ms Lovell-Wood is a designer working in Wellington’s film industry. Her work ranges from print, to motion graphics and art direction with a few photographs thrown in, both digital and 35mm.
Her 2018 project Origins of Taboo was an exploration of ancient Pacific rituals and their modern counterparts, depicting the interconnection and diversity of three Pacific cultures - Māori, Tongan and Hawaiian.
“Origins of Taboo is a representation of the strength Pacific culture has within the English language and is also a chance to represent a part of my own kanaka [native Hawaiian] heritage within my practice as a young New Zealand designer,” she says.
"Spending time with the Pacific Collections at the National Library and Alexander Turnbull Library is an amazing chance to explore the interconnectedness and diversity of our incredible Pacific cultures, which will no doubt influence my practice."
The Pasifika Arts residency supports emerging artists to be immersed in a place which can help shape and encourage their creativity. During the week, Ms Lovell-Wood will have an opportunity to meet staff at National Library and the Alexander Turnbull Library, explore the collections and research areas, and tour He Tohu, a permanent exhibition of three iconic constitutional documents that shape Aotearoa New Zealand.