The Dowse is in Lower Hutt outside Pōneke Wellington and it is always worth a visit.
At present the exhibitions are Softy: Textiles from the Dowse Collection, Wing and a Prayer, Uana/ Carried By The Waves by Claudia Jowitt, and Whakahokihoki: Jewellery from the Dowse Collection. There is also an interactive installation, Wheel of Avalon, that takes on the well-known television programme “Wheel of Fortune”. Two of the shows are below and to read about all the exhibitions head on over to the Dowse website.
Whakahokihoki means “to return” in te reo Māori and this exhibition brings together 60 pieces of contemporary jewellery from 40 makers. It is not a jewellery collection in traditional terms. Instead it is a celebration of materials, ideas and creativity from Aotearoa. Three of my favourite pieces are pictured below (l to r): Grace Yu Piper’s fabric, thread and stainless steel stitch #6 and 7, Te Tai by Louisa Humphry and Kaetaeta Watson uses dyed harakeke (New Zealand flax) to make a statement piece and Andrea Daly in Madonna of the Toilet uses silver, copper, enamel and goldleaf to make a witty statement. (Click on the images to see them in more detail).
Softy brings together a collection of artists who use textile to explore sexuality, identity, whakapapa (ancestral bloodlines) and belonging. There are more artists in this show than the pieces shown below but these four are a good representation of the works. The texts that explain the pieces are included with each. Click on the images to see enlargements.
