Exhibition Openings: A Song About Sāmoa & Wallace Art Awards

Yuki Kihara: Sāmoa no uta - A Song About Sāmoa
29th Annual Wallace Art Awards 2020

Join us in celebrating the opening of two new exhibitions.

Yuki Kihara: Sāmoa no uta - A Song About Sāmoa
"A Song About Sāmoa", the latest body of work by acclaimed artist Yuki Kihara, brings together two culturally distinctive artforms; Sāmoan siapo and Japanese kimono. Siapo, a hand-made barkcloth made from the lau u’a (bark of the paper mulberry tree), is a labour-intensive practice and one of the oldest traditional artforms in Sāmoa. The form of the kimono is based on furisode, the style worn by an unmarried young woman. For this series, five kimono have been fashioned from siapo. These works are presented as sculptural objects as well as a surface for illustration and design. Featuring distinctly Japanese wave forms, siapo patterns and the semi-circular seigaiha, these designs explore the cultural, social and political connections between Japan and the Pacific Islands, specifically Sāmoa.

29th Annual Wallace Art Awards 2020
The Annual Wallace Art Awards profile outstanding examples of contemporary New Zealand art. Established in 1992, The Wallace Art Awards are now the longest surviving and largest annual art awards in New Zealand. They are also the most democratic of Awards. The only restriction for entry is that the applicant must have New Zealand Citizenship or New Zealand Permanent Residency, which effectively opens them up to the entire resident population, as well as New Zealanders who live internationally. Entries each year reflect this, with committed amateur artists entering alongside recognised professionals.

Image: Sāmoa no uta - A Song About Sāmoa (2019) Installation view (detail). Courtesy of Yuki Kihara and Milford Galleries Dunedin. Photography: Glenn Frei