Chromacade: Janna van Hasselt

In Chromacade, rainbow coloured strokes seem to vibrate on a field of luminous green.
Exploring the relationship between shiny rainbow coloured ceramic pieces and the matte fluorescent surface, van Hasselt delights in the buzz created at the edges of the extrusions. Here colour and pattern give the impression that the art work is somehow animated. Playfully, the sculptural elements fall in and out of the herringbone pattern, descending into chaos before conforming again to order. This narrative plays out across the wall space, suggesting a lively drama where the strokes are the players, sometimes behaving, sometimes not.
Exuding spontaneity and humour, in this apparently light-hearted installation van Hasselt considers just how far something can go before it is wrangled back into line.
Janna van Hasselt has a BFA from the Ilam School of Fine Arts in Christchurch (2004), and an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (2014) as the recipient of a Fulbright Award. She has also undertaken residencies in London, The Netherlands, Belgium and Pennsylvania and exhibited throughout New Zealand, most notably in the SCAPE Biennale (Christchurch, 2016), The Portage Ceramic Awards (Auckland, 2012-2021) and major solo exhibitions at The Dowse Art Museum in 2022 and Ashburton Art Gallery “Chromasill” (2021), which was the result of her winning the 2020 Zonta Ashburton Female Art Award.

Chromacade can be viewed in the MTG Foyer until 8 October 2023.