My Name Comes From This Place

Works by Filani Macassey

My Name Comes From This Place is an exhibition about stepping over the threshold and making connections. In June 2019, Filani Macassey travelled to Cyprus to visit the historic village of Filani, after which her father named her - he spent time there while on leave from World War II.

These artworks address her journey in Cyprus, her father's WWII experience in the Long Range Desert Group, and the Green Line dividing Greeks and Turks in Cyprus today.

“As individuals, we all have stories to tell. There are so many ways to engage within the telling.”

Macassey is a multidisciplinary artist based in Northland. Her work is inspired by the duality of having been born in Fiji and living most of her life, from the age of six and a half, in New Zealand. A graduate of Elam School of Fine Arts, her work has been exhibited throughout New Zealand, Fiji and Europe. Her work Lunar Portrait #Star Dust was a finalist in the 2018 Wallace Arts Awards.

Image: Filani Macassey, detail of moving-image work The Village Filani, 2020