As we awake again from our Covid slumber and ready ourselves to return to workplaces, many men will again face the elephant in the room: ‘business casual’. Now there’s a wonderful opportunity for men to embrace this look and hit it out of the park.

Last week I had a young man in the store buying some new items for his return to the office after working from home. I asked if he was excited to get out of the house.

"I'll miss working in my trackies," he said. "I don't even really know what 'business casual' means."

This guy isn't alone. Young, fashionable, working a really good job, but confused about what he should wear in a professional environment now the simple jacket-and-tie days are behind us.

There have been attempts over the years to change the way we dress for work. Some time ago, the ‘casual Friday’ concept was introduced by the bastion of suit-wearing corporates. This was supposed to be an opportunity to essentially wear a sports coat to work, with a pair of sports trousers and smart open-collar shirt without a tie.

This was a disaster, as many men interpreted this as a free-for-all and as inappropriate dress to the office was so abundant, the suit-wearers quickly did away with the concept.

Reaching for a dark navy or charcoal suit simplified the morning regime. Variety meant wearing a blue shirt instead of a white, and if you were feeling a little racy, maybe a stripe. But whatever your choice, there was a reassurance that you would look the part, you were a best representation of your company, and you were ready for Business.

Fast forward to a couple of years ago, changes were again afoot. Ties were no longer a prerequisite; an open-neck shirt under your suit would suffice. Then catchy wardrobe directives emerged, like ‘dress for your day’, an opportunity to do away with your suit if client facing wasn’t required. The writing was on the wall for formal suits, as these new directives were headlined by the traditionalists and executives in finance, law, and accounting.

The theory makes sense, but we all know that theory and practice are not the same. I have seen too many men who miss the ‘business’ part of the brief and just seem to go casual. But many, especially those who sit at the top of their company, or aspiring to climb theirs, have a light bulb moment and realise they need to ‘dress smarter’, ‘raise the bar’, ‘set a standard’.

Let’s embrace the change and the opportunities dressing for work now offers. Looking smart will instil confidence in others while adding a spring to your step, too.

Wardrobe pillars

These are key items in your wardrobe which should formulate the basis of what you wear. These are versatile and require little thought pairing colours together.

Ensure you have two or three pairs of smart chinos and trousers in your wardrobe. Navy, tan and dark green are a great start as they are incredibly versatile. Get them hemmed to the correct length and give them a press once they have had a wash.

A white and blue Oxford button-down collar shirt is a must. These can be worn with your chinos, with a tie if required and under a suit or sports coat. Even better, the collar will sit up and look smart for the day.

To round out the collection, a striped or check shirt offers some great variety as well as a navy or denim/chambray shirt.

A casual jacket or sports coat. A piece of clothing that can elevate your daywear is crucial. It doesn’t have to be overly formal, only offer up the opportunity to add a dimension to your chinos and shirt. Today these items have been deconstructed and made with soft shoulders and structure, so comfort is at the forefront.

A worker's coat or chore jacket can be a perfect alternative to a sports coat, with the ability to dress in a more understated but smart manner. Choosing a coat in a shade of blue, chocolate, charcoal or green will hold you in good stead.

Lastly, if you’re not sure, tuck your shirt in. Especially if you used to wear a suit to work. Make sure your footwear is tidy, whether you wear trainers or loafers. If you can wear t-shirts, ensure they aren’t over-worn or over-washed, and update these regularly.

Karl Clausen is the creative director at Working Style. You can see him at the Oxford Terrace store in Christchurch, or visit workingstyle.co.nz.

You’re the best person to take charge of your own style. A good stylist is just here to support you on your journey of change.

We don’t really need stylists.

This may be a strange thing for a professional fashion stylist to say, but honestly, I’m just here because we don’t trust our gut when it comes to fashion.

Styling is about feeling empowered to be yourself. By finding styles that suit you, you’ll feel like you can stop hiding behind unshapely, dark and bland clothing. Your wardrobe is a mirror to how you feel. We feel more sexy, strong and empowered when we wear things that suit us.

I created Your Style Journal to help anyone find those flattering items that they love, no matter what style you enjoy, and whether you’re size 4 or size 24 or more. Armed with the journal, you don’t need me, though I am here to support you when you need it.

One of the tenets of the journal is that you don’t need to follow trends. All trends are doing is repeating, repeating, repeating. The people at the top are genuinely creative and doing cool new things, but by the time it filters down to the retailers they just feel like they have to push new trends every season to get more sales.

So what, then, if we shouldn’t follow trends? I’m all about helping you find your own style, and clothing and accessories that you love and that look great on you. I teach you the fundamentals of why you’re not wearing the clothes you’ve already bought, and help you discover how to shop more consciously so you’re only buying what you need, not what you want.

Women in particular tend to ask shop staff how something looks and trust their judgement. Well, no, that’s not how it should be. You decide how it looks. With a few key tips and rules up your sleeve, you can become your best true self and buy something for the right reasons, not so you can fit in.

I had a message from a client the other day who was so excited and literally screamed into the phone that she’s bought a metallic gold skirt. That was a carefully considered bold move, and she’s feeling great about it. What’s your next bold move?

Lou’s 7 winter fashion staples

1. A good coat. There’s so much great choice out there now, but I’m loving plaid at the moment because it’s quite neutral.

2. A fine piece of knitwear. A dress, top, or whatever you like – it’s perfect for layering underneath jackets.

3. Combat boots. Or any pair of boots you can rock in a day and night situation.

4. Patterned tights. Warm and cool!

5. A skirt. Skirt style is an individual preference, but a midi skirt is great because you can wear your wicked boots and tights with it.

6. A scarf. Always handy in winter.

7. Jewellery. Something gold to make bland winter outfits pop.

Lou Heller is available for personal styling and talks. She is the creator of Your Style Journal – six downloadable modules breaking down Lou’s own knowledge step-by-step, with space for you to journal your own thoughts. It also comes with access to videos, updates and a private Facebook group supporting you to make your own style decisions with confidence. Get it at louhellerstylist.com

Fur Patrol’s 20th anniversary tour has become a 21st party tour, and the band are pulling out all the hits. What's Hot New Zealand catches up with frontwoman Julia Deans to find out who Lydia was, and what’s good on the music scene.

Is it strange to think that PET is officially an adult now? It sure is. They seem to be quite a pleasant, friendly adult though, considering how sullen and silent a teenager they were.

And we’re glad about that. Who was Lydia, and did you really not hold it against her? Lydia was a semi-fictional character, a conglomeration of various people and situations happening in my life at the time. It’s a commentary on the way people often blame the third party in a love triangle. So yeah, nah, I’m not gonna hold it against her when he’s the ship-sinker.

Talk us through the fairly intense cover art of PET. Our friend Jade Weaver came up with the smashed cute things concept. She created a series of really cool images by scanning broken figurines directly into a scanner. The final images were photographed by Becky Nunes and the final package was put together by Andrew B White. It was a team effort.

Is the name Fur Patrol was a pro-animal message? We’ve always said the name is in the eye of the beholder. AKA the truth is less exciting than your imagination.

What was the motivation to get the band back together? The catalyst was the 20th anniversary pressing of PET on vinyl, which we figured we could do some shows around for fun. The original plan was to have it in peoples’ hands at the end of 2020, but ol’ mate Covid had other ideas. It also had other ideas three times about our tour plans, so this is almost the 22nd anniversary tour. C’est la Covid.

Is that vinyl widely available? You can get your mitts on the vinyl at our Bandcamp page, Penny Lane, or JB Hi-Fi.

Will there be any new songs in the mix for the tour, or just classic bangers? We’re going to play the album from top-to-toe, including the hidden track – remember those? – ‘Bottles & Jars’. Definitely planning on including a couple of other faves as well.

Last time we spoke to you, you shouted out to Mousey as an up-and-coming musician, and now she’s gotten big and is supporting you in your Christchurch and Nelson shows. Who should we be looking out for next? We love Mousey and are delighted the whole band will be joining us. We’ve got Wellington band Soft Plastics coming along for the North Island leg, and I highly recommend you check out their new single and Villanelle-esque video ‘Day Job’.

What’s top of your playlist right now? Wet Leg. Seriously, go find and enjoy. Self-titled album.

Over the years you’ve been involved in a lot of high-profile music projects. What are a couple of the highlights? A show I put together for Christchurch Arts Festival called Like Water, featuring Flip Grater, Bella Kalolo, myself, an all-femme band and Burnside High School’s Bel Canto Girls Choir rates pretty highly. And making my operatic debut with Festival Opera’s Cavalleria Rusticana was an incredible experience. But also just being able to get out and play small, intimate shows for people over the last couple of years under Covid restrictions has been amazing. We need live music and the connection it brings.

What’s on the cards for you after the Fur Patrol tour? Record a new JD album.

Nationwide
Thursday 11 – Saturday 27 August
furpatrol.bandcamp.com

Emma Dilemma talks to What's Hot New Zealand about her new solo career, the significance of vinyl, and filming nude on trampolines.

We’re looking forward to your full-length album. How does Spit Side B follow on from Spit Side A released last year? It was originally gonna come out as Spit, as one whole album. But due to Covid ruining touring opportunities and the supply chain for getting vinyl records made, we decided to do it in two parts. But finally, this second half, I started releasing it at the start of this year and it will all come out as one big beautiful record on July 1st.

Is making it a vinyl important to you? I haven’t done it before… I grew up with my dad putting on vinyl records. I’ve recently acquired this pair of speakers that used to be in the family home that my Dad’s brother made, like way back in the ‘70s he hand-made these big beautiful proper speakers. So I want to get my record on vinyl, because it would be really cool to listen to the record through these speakers I grew up listening to records on.

Is it a rite of passage for musicians to make a vinyl? Totally. In this era when vinyl’s made a massive comeback, I think most artists would want their record on vinyl. And if they don’t I don’t know what’s going on in their head! CDs are so ‘our generation’ and boring. I did briefly consider cassette tapes, because you know, 90’s kid, but I figured they’re more like a fully collector’s item that not many people would be able to actually play.

What story are you telling with this album? It’s the story of my thoughts on how absurd the world is. I’m just spitting out ideas, that’s the idea behind the album name. In the past I’ve played in a rock band called Decades and we kind of co-wrote a lot. Liam, he was the main songwriter, so a lot of the stuff I was singing as the front-person of the band were his experiences and his thoughts and feelings. So this is kind of a really eclectic record about my opinions about a whole bunch of situations in my life and on the planet right now.

What’s prompted you to go on this solo path? We started working on our second record and a couple of those songs that me and Liam were writing together have ended up on my album. Basically, a couple of the guys had kids and it was getting to be an overwhelming commitment for them to be travelling, touring and recording an album, because we go to Melbourne to do that. We kind of just came to this conclusion, that because I’d been taking a more active role in songwriting that it kind of just made sense that I went out and did this by myself for a bit while they could raise their families. We’re kind of on a hiatus, but I’m like uh-oh, I love being a solo artist so much!

A tale as old as time… I’m sure they’re OK with it. We’re best friends so we keep in touch all the time.

Tell us about your new single ‘Vulnerability’ and the Napoleon Dynamite throwback video? I’m glad you realised it was Napoleon Dynamite, because when I released it I thought it could go either way… The video does tie into the meaning of the song. When I was trying to come up with a video idea for that song, I was a little intoxicated and for some reason just thinking about situations where you force yourself to be vulnerable in front of people that maybe you’re a bit scared of, or haven’t been vulnerable in front of before. Immediately Napoleon Dynamite, dancing in front of a school of people who make fun of him or don’t really like him, came to mind. And it was so triumphant at the end because people respected him after that because he was himself. He just went out there and did his thing. And that’s kind of what the song’s about. It’s me talking to myself about you will grow and be stronger if you can have the strength to be vulnerable in front of people. Baby, I’ve had enough, I’m just gonna go out there and f*cking be myself.

Speaking of vulnerability, how did you feel shooting the video for ‘Bounce’? The song is so fun and it’s about sexual themes, but about the wholesome side of sex and being committed to one person for the rest of your life. It’s not a Christian record, I’m not religious in any way. I do have a partner that I love very much, so it’s about our relationship and how much I love him. And because the song’s so much fun and a bit cheeky, I wanted a music video that reflects that. I thought ‘Bounce’, jumping around on trampolines, even though bounce in the song refers to bedroom activities. So I thought, how can we tie that together? I know, I’ll just be naked. I remember when I was telling this video idea to the team at Warner, the head of Warner was a guy at the time, and he was just like “I love the idea, but let’s just make it very clear that the label didn’t ask you to do this.” And I was like no, I will proudly tell people that for some reason I chose to be naked in this video. I’m very lucky that my director is one of my best friends, so it was a safe space. The MoveX trampoline arena in Christchurch, they were really cool, they just gave us the keys and we were in there from like 4am, and they were like, “As long as you’re wrapped by the time we open at 9:30 so no children are exposed to this, you’re good to go.”

What’s your songwriting process? It’s definitely very chaotic and random. I don’t usually try and force myself to write or sit down and write. If the song starts as a melody or a little lyric or a combination, it’s usually just something that’s just popped into my head as I go about my day, so I’ll just grab my phone and sing that into the phone and kind of come back to it later. I also like working with other people if they’ve got pre-made music. So a lot of the songs on Spit came from collaborating with Liam from Decades. He would send me instrumentals, so I would sit down and play through like four or five that he might have sent through that week, and if anything came out right away then I’d know that was probably something that was going to become a song. But at the moment I’m building a studio, with the intention that I’m going to sit down and force myself to come up with ideas once a day, even for an hour a day, because I like the idea of having a dedicated space and seeing what that might do for my songwriting brain. Your first album is always a combination of songs that they say you’ve had your whole life to write. Well, I had the time from Decades’ previous album to now to write, which was two or three years. But after releasing this album in July, I’ve got to get onto the next thing right away. I’ve probably only got like four songs that I really like, that I will record, but if I’m going to do another album I need to up my production.

What can we expect to see at your show? My music is rock music, but with a pop edge. If you don’t see yourself as a rock fan or a loud music fan, it’s kind of like, if you would go to The Killers, then you would probably enjoy my show. It’s rock music, it’s got guitars, but it’s poppy, it’s dancey and it’s fun and it’s inspiring. As a live act I’m a three-piece. So it’s me, Moses Robbins on guitar, and Matt Andrews on drums. It’s just a bunch of fun, It’s really loud but you can dance to it. I tell a lot of shitty jokes and it’s just a good fun live rock show.

Do you have a pre-show ritual of doing 17 tequila shots or anything wild like that? Depends who’s buying! No, not really, especially in a venue as small as Darkroom there’s not really a green room or anything like that, so we just like to socialise and mill around. It’s a Christchurch show, a lot of the people that are going to be there are friends and family. It’s going to be a special one that one, because that’s the day the album comes out as well.

Who is Emma Dilemma? I am just a born and bred Christchurch girl who has loved music all her life, loved performing, and love absurd crazy shit. And I just love to write fun pop-rock songs. I’ve played in bands most of my life, I started performing in rock bands in pubs when I was 15. I own a creative agency here in Christchurch as well, G&A, The Giveback Agency.

What pubs did you haunt? The Dux de Lux was the classic, I loved performing there. But when I was 15 and 16 I had a residency at the Jetset Lounge on Wednesday nights, which was pretty cool. That’s when I was in an emo covers band, Taking Back Thursday. And then obviously because I was underage I liked to perform at a lot of the underage venues at the time, so there was Zebedees, White Elephant. I played at The Civic a couple of times, I was lucky enough to open for a couple of bigger bands there. Oh man, I wish all these venues still existed.

Do you have a favourite venue on tour? One I played at recently at the start of this year. It’s not really suitable for full rock acts, but the Playhouse Theatre in Mapua just outside of Nelson. It’s a cave, you go in there and it’s literally this beautiful cave with a theatre set into it. You go in and it’s got all of its PA and its lighting all rigged up and it’s absolutely stunning in there. In terms of playing a full, noisy, rock band show, I would say San Fran in Wellington.

Is there anyone in the Kiwi music scene you want to shout out to? Oh my god, all of them. Everyone. This is political! But you can’t go wrong with Jed Parsons.

Christchurch, Wellington, Auckland, Tauranga
Friday 1 - Saturday 9 July
emmadilemma.org

Monarch is a sensory experience that feels like it belongs in New York, Tokyo, or London. Something special for the audiophiles among us who also enjoy a perfectly executed cocktail in a crystal glass.

The concept is a ‘listening bar’, with a hand-made sound system delivering high-fidelity music so clear you can hear every tsk of a cymbal, every layer of sound and every note despite being in a central city bar. The bar is dedicated to music, and it doesn’t apologise for turning it up loud, but you can hear every word the people sitting across the booth from you are saying. There’s simply nothing else like Monarch anywhere in New Zealand.

The bespoke wooden-boxed speakers are beautiful, and so are the three 300-watt power amps, on display and built into the wall behind the bar, each lit up with the famous McIntosh blue VU meters on the front. The whole sound system is powered by McIntosh, a New York-based company with an illustrious history of revolutionary sound systems. This is the crowd who essentially invented stadium sound – upgrading the old siren-style speakers to something that could play rock ‘n’ roll to the masses. McIntosh did the sound for Woodstock in ’69, and now it’s done the sound for Monarch in ’22.

The bar is accessed through King of Snake on Christchurch's nightlife hub the Terrace, feeling like a secret backroom club. Every aspect of Monarch whispers “sophistication” in your ear. The name and butterfly logo are references to transformation and rebirth, and the interior incorporates iconic relics from pre-earthquake Christchurch. The frames for the interior planter boxes are repaired and repurposed handrails from the Christchurch Basilica, and the doors are from the former Church of St. John the Baptist at Latimer Square. Other elements come from further afield – the stained glass on the ceiling is from a Greek Orthodox church and the carved panels on the front of the bar are from a 19th Century church in the United Kingdom. The lights over the fireplace are from a house built in Beverly Hills in the 1920s, and the bubble glass lamps are 1950s originals sourced from an antique dealer in Germany.

Monarch is the perfect little secret – a late-night hangout to relax in and watch the hours fly by, or the ultimate after-dinner experience to cap off a delightful meal at King of Snake.

By design: King of Snake

The new King of Snake is incomparable to anything else in Christchurch. Every aspect of the restaurant is designed and carefully selected, sourced from historic buildings around the world and from skilled artisans.

Both the King of Snake and Monarch interiors are designed by Jennifer Warring and her team at The Creative Group. King of Snake has pride of place on the second storey at the corner of Cashel Street and the Terrace, and the whole restaurant is set up to take advantage of those sweet views. The seated balcony looks out over the Ōtākaro Avon River and Bridge of Remembrance, and floor-to-ceiling windows give diners a bird’s eye view for people-watching up the walking street. The marble and herringbone timber floors are staged at two heights to offer views to those further back in the restaurant.

The natural light and carefully placed artificial lighting, the sounds and smells of the Asian fusion kitchen, and the luxury finishings come together to give King of Snake the feel of a five-star tropical resort, in the heart of Christchurch. It’s big and open, easy to move through and see across.

Contemporary and sophisticated, there’s nothing run-of-the-mill in the design elements and materials. The heavy timber front door is recovered from the Christchurch Basilica. The velvet is Italian, and so is the marble on the floor, though the slabs were hand-cut into stylised tiles here in Christchurch. The marble bar tops are from Brazil, the light fittings from antique dealers in Poland, Italy and the United States, and the wallpaper from France. Contemporary light fittings were sourced specially from the United Kingdom and Germany, and a bespoke wooden tile wall finish from Poland.

Then there’s the food, designed down to the finest details. Anyone who dined at the previous Victoria Street location will know to expect something spectacular, and the new kitchen delivers above and beyond. The Blade-cut Ora King Salmon is plated in a perfect line punctuated by caviar full stops, and each of the Grilled Scallops sits on its own bed of lush green seaweed. Dumplings are drowned in the perfect amount of broth, and even the mess of Moong Dal is arranged with skill into a thing of beauty. The classics remain and have been refined and elevated, while the stunning new editions take King of Snake to an entirely new level.

kingofsnake.co.nz

Luke Dawkins and Blue Hamel are bringing gin into the 21st Century with their new physical and digital NFT project. What's Hot New Zealand hits them up for a taste of what’s to come.

Blue is waiting for us in a busy café, and there’s no missing him. He’s wearing thick-rimmed, tinted, oversize glasses, beads and chains around his neck, and chunky rings on all his fingers. Everything from his high-line hairstyle to his distinctive footwear screams "I’ve got a style, and I’m here to put it in your face."

Blue’s a local boy from Christchurch who headed overseas and got big in the LA advertising scene. His business partner Luke is an English boy who headed to Christchurch and got big in the Aotearoa gin scene.

Luke joins us, brandishing a cardboard box containing the precious cargo we’re here to talk about: a matte black bottle of YEN Gin. A whiff and a sip proves what we already suspected: this is a fantastic gin. It smells juicy and fresh, and it’s ultra-dry on the palate with distinctive juniper underpinned by a savoury, herby taste.

We’re not surprised, because Luke is perhaps our city’s most well-known gin enthusiast. He’s co-owner and the face of gin gin., an acclaimed Christchurch speciality bar that started in Victoria Street and now has pride of place in New Regent Street. “I think I’ve watered the mouths of most of the people in Christchurch working the bar,” he says. Luke lives and breathes gin, facilitating events and promoting other gin brands in New Zealand and internationally where he can.

He knew he could make a great New Zealand gin. But there are a lot of New Zealand gins these days, and it could be easy to get lost in the wash of marketing, which tends to focus on which corner of Aotearoa each botanical is harvested from. Luke needed a new narrative, and Blue is a narrative specialist.

Blue is a digital creative, a marketing phenom, and a CGI artist whose Instagram (@halfofnothing) is flooded with animations and professionally-shot videos showing off his visual style and taste in fashion – think Louis Vuitton, Prada, and Gucci modelled in surreal cityscapes.

The YEN Gin branding is on point. The Champagne-style bottle paints a picture of celebrations, while the black-block colouring is a distillation of modern design. But Blue’s biggest contribution might be making YEN into an NFT.

For those of you who aren’t up with the play, an NFT (non-fungible token) is a unique piece of digital art that cannot be faked because its ownership is built into a blockchain. Still confused? It’s like Bitcoin, but it’s art. NFTs are so hot right now in the crypto investment and speculation markets. They have also been the subject of a lot of bad news: people getting ripped off buying crappy art; wild speculation leading to over-investment; money laundering; and scams.

When Luke and Blue released YEN Gin, they also released 100 NFTs, each one a video file containing a beautiful render of the YEN bottle. “I wanted to create an art piece that people can display, on a screen in their house or wherever they like,” Blue says.

The two are well aware of the mixed rep NFTs have. “There’s been a lot of flops… people don’t really believe in it,” Luke says. “But we’ve proven it by bringing the physical and the digital world together.”

The idea is that by tying the NFT to something physical, it will have real-world value for its holders. When someone buys a YEN NFT token from the official distributor on the Rarible NFT marketplace, they also get a numbered bottle of YEN Gin, and a solid metal membership card bearing their unique number. The NFT acts as a lifetime membership to the YEN Forever Club, with access to exclusive tasting events and other real-world benefits. Owners can sell or gift the NFTs – and the associated membership – to someone else at any time.

“We’re not this hype NFT that people are going to sell and flip for a dollar,” Blue says. “We’re something you want to be part of, because you like the brand.”

Luke has been working on the YEN recipe for a couple of years now, thinking that lockdown was the opportunity he needed to finally create his own gin. He set out with a mission.

“I wanted the gin for my bar that everyone walks through the door and asks for, but we didn’t have.” What he means is a proper London-style dry gin, distilled from grain, juniper forward, no artificial flavouring, made in New Zealand.

Some gins are essentially flavoured vodka, but this one is made traditionally, where all the ingredients go into the still. Luke has it produced by Christchurch artisanal distiller The Spirits Workshop. “I see it as a collaboration,” he says, “but one day we might do our own distilling.”

It’s a bloody good example of a London dry, with traditional ingredients like juniper, orange, and coriander seed, but expanded with a little native flavour including kawakawa.

“I like the idea of the medicinal benefits it brings,” Luke says. Kawakawa is used in traditional Māori medicine to treat wounds, stomach problems and other conditions. “I’m not saying it’s going to do that for you when you drink gin, but it can’t hurt having it in there,” he quips.

One YEN NFT costs 0.1 of the cryptocurrency Ether. The price of Ether jumps around a lot, but 0.1 is a few hundred New Zealand dollars. Most of the first batch of 100 are already sold, so keen gin and crypto enthusiasts might need to line up for the next release.

If the NFT scene isn’t for you, you can try YEN Gin at bars including gin gin., or pick up a bottle at high-end liquor stores.

yen.co.nz

Christchurch art museum Ravenscar House took the top gong, with incredible projects from round New Zealand ranking on the awards table.

The 2022 awards mark the 10-year anniversary of the prestigious New Zealand Commercial Project Awards, owned and run by Registered Master Builders. For the first time, the awards were held in Christchurch at Te Pae Christchurch Convention and Exhibition Centre, which itself won the Civic Project Award.

Ravenscar House, constructed by HRS Construction, also took out the Tourism and Leisure Project Award, along with the award for projects valued between $10 million and $25 million. The project brought Ravenscar House, a grand architectural wonder, back to life in a new and more central location following irreparable damage during the 2011 Christchurch earthquake.

Prior to the earthquakes, the Wakefield family’s dream was for their home to be used for the public display of their impressive art collection in a 'house museum'. The judges said the resulting Ravenscar House meant their vision became reality in a new and exciting way that suited modern Christchurch. The new Ravenscar House and its art collection can now be enjoyed for generations to come in a statement building that reflects both the brutalism and gothic revival styles of central Christchurch.

The new Ravenscar House incorporates key designs from its original namesake, such as the four main rooms designed in the same dimensions as the original principal rooms. Constructed from pre-cast concrete made from crushed bricks from the original home, as well as rubble from other cherished Christchurch buildings, the new Ravenscar House has truly become a part of the rebuilt city.

Winners

Farmers Building (Wellington) – Heritage/Restoration Project Award

Foodstuffs North Island Head Office (Auckland) – CARTERS Commercial Project Award, Sustainability Award

Hundertwasser Art Centre with Wairau Māori art Gallery (Whangārei) – Special Award

Kotuitui Development Stage 2 (Auckland) – Winstone Wallboards Residential Project Award

Kristin School Tūrama (Auckland) – Value Award Commercial Project $1 – $3 million

MediaWorks Radio Fit Out (Auckland) – Resene Commercial Fit out Award

Murney Main (Ashburton) – Value Award Commercial Project $3 – $10 million

Ormiston Town Centre (Auckland) – Retail Project Award

QT Hotel (Auckland) – Value Award Commercial Project Over $25 million

Ravenscar House (Christchurch) – Altus Window Systems Tourism & Leisure Project Award, Value Award Commercial Project $10 – $25 million, Supreme Award for the 2022 NZ Commercial Project

Steelfort Showroom and Distribution Centre (Auckland) – Industrial Project Award

Sunyata Yoga Retreat (Rocklands) – Value Award Commercial Project Under $1 million

Te Hononga, Hundertwasser Memorial Park (Kawakawa) – Innovation Award

Te Pae  Christchurch Convention and Exhibition Centre (Christchurch) – Civic Project Award

TechPark, Manukau Institute of Technology (Auckland) – Construction Marketing Services Education Project Award

Toka Hāpai Selwyn Health Hub (Christchurch) – Health Project Award

commercialprojectawards.co.nz

A dream team of Royal New Zealand Ballet creators has come together to add something spectacular to a new telling of the Cinderella story.

Coreographer Loughlan Prior and composer Claire Cowan, the creative minds behind 2019's hit ballet Hansel & Gretel, have reunited for RNZB's first national tour in over a year. Feisty, funny, and fabulous, Cinderella is the brainchild of award-winning master storyteller Loughlan, with a magical new score by Claire, and fashion-forward designs by the San Francisco-based Australian designer Emma Kingsbury.

"Our Cinderella story centres around a quest for identity, true love and the courage to be yourself," says Loughlan. "The characters exist in a society of excess, titles and possessions, in which more is more; a direct parallel to the oversaturation of 21st Century living. Cinderella and Prince Charming must push against the noise in order to re-write their own, authentic ‘happily ever afters’.”

Loughlan’s most recent main stage work for the company was 2021’s The Firebird which was described in one review as “brave, innovative and welcome” and another as “a triumph.” An international review of the extraordinary film version of The Firebird read, “Prior’s Firebird has it all; theatre magic, memorable performances.” Loughlan’s 2019 production of Hansel and Gretel, his first collaboration with Claire, enchanted audiences around Aotearoa with almost 28,000 people enjoying it in theatres as a pre-Christmas treat, and 150,000 tuning in to watch free broadcasts of the ballet during April and May 2020.

Claire is at the forefront of composition in New Zealand. She has worked with the country’s biggest orchestras, including the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, and the NZSO National Youth Orchestra while she was still a university student. She received Best Classical Artist at the Aotearoa Music Awards in 2021, two Silver Scroll nominations, and a win for her first TV series soundtrack, Hillary.

Emma has designed extensively for film, ballet, television, theatre and opera, in the US, Europe, Australia and the UK. Most recently, that includes Blacklight, HBO’s Finding Magic Mike, Wooden Dimes for the San Francisco Ballet, The Firebird for Texas Ballet and the award-winning The Crucible for Scottish Ballet. This is her first commission for the RNZB.

RNZB favourites, including Principals Mayu Tanigaito, Laurynas Vėjalis and Kate Kadow, will shine in iconic roles including Cinderella, Prince Charming and the Fairy Godmother, alongside a cast of delightful, colourful – and in some cases slightly surprising – characters. Highs, lows, fairy-tale endings, and happy-ever-afters spill from the stage in every shade of the rainbow, with dancing and storytelling that will bring joy to the young and young at heart.

The Christchurch Symphony Orchestra will perform the music live.

The season has a comprehensive accessibility programme including an audio described performances and touch tour for blind and low vision audience members.

Nationwide
Wednesday 3 August – Saturday 3 September
rnzb.org.nz

Get a unique experience of Māori visual art at Christchurch Art Gallery Puna o Waiwhetū this winter, with a new exhibition showcasing a range of moving image works by leading Māori artists.

Māori Moving Image ki Te Puna o Waiwhetū will be showing from Saturday 4 June to Sunday 16 October, featuring recent moving image artworks ranging from slick animation to 16mm film, and even a spot of karaoke. The exhibition is a rich collection of works that showcase differing creative perspectives on issues that are important to Māori, putting history, lived experience and radical hope at the centre.

Visitors can expect a huge variety of look and feel, with subject matter including such diverse topics as World War II, tīwakawaka, and Christian Louboutin. Co-curator Melanie Oliver describes the exhibition as "a unique alignment of forms and concepts of toi ataata – visual art – with those of ngā mahi a rēhia – performance art.”

The karaoke feature is a first for the gallery, with a special niche set aside for visitors to sing along to beloved Māori songs, accompanied by visuals created by Māori visual artists and even a glittering disco or 'Pāuaball' by Terri Te Tau to get you in the grooving mood.

Māori Moving Image ki Te Puna o Waiwhetū showcases the work of emerging talents and celebrated favourites including Shannon Te Ao, Luther Ashford, Sarah Hudson, Ana Iti, Jeremy Leatinu’u, Nova Paul, Rachael Rakena, Lisa Reihana and Kauri Wharewera.

Māori Moving Image ki Te Puna o Waiwhetū
Sat 4 Jun - Sun 16 Oct
christchurchartgallery.org.nz

Ann Ciciani tells us a little bit about art, resin, her dog, and getting ready for the Christcurch Art Show.

Tell us a bit about you – who is Ann Ciciani? That's an interesting question. I will let you know when I find out...

What kind of art do you create? I create conceptual art. That means that rather than aiming to create a visual representation of an object, I create visual conceptual ideas. These concepts are designed to provoke the audience into a higher state of awareness of themselves and the world we live in thereby raising the consciousness of the collective – which I believe is the main purpose of us being on this planet: to contribute to our collective psychic evolution.

Your works often have tonnes of incredible detail – what kind of process goes into making something like that? I use resin, which is a two-part liquid compound that when mixed together solidifies into a hard plastic material after being poured into a mould. So I start with a completely formed conceptual visual idea in my head, which often arises during dreams or dog walks, then I use the casts of the moulds as a form of symbolic language to express my idea.

What would you like people to take away from your art? Joy, love, inspiration, provocation and maybe a little chuckle. Hopefully, a little more insight into their internal psychological landscape and that of the collective.

What are you planning to display at the Art Show? Usually, I show a large-scale signature piece and a collection of my latest works. At the moment my signature piece is Metanoia as it is the pivotal work of my Iconography collection and, as it has been very popular, I have made several editions of this. This is a large-scale work that actually includes substructures within it of previous and even future works. But my ideas are evolving and changing very quickly so that might change. I am usually working on several collections at once. I don't plan my collections but just let the ideas bubble up naturally from my subconscious, because the subconscious mind is where all the magic happens.

What do you like about meeting the public at the show? I get a real buzz when I see someone has made a real connection with my art emotionally, spiritually or intellectually. I didn't like it when someone asked me to mould their face and put it into a piece of my art!

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received? “Create from presence, not ego.” – Eckhart Tolle

What are you consuming at the moment? I am reading The Crack in the Cosmic Egg by Joseph Chilton Pearce, listening to Confidence Man and binge-watching clips of miniature goats in pyjamas – highly recommended.

How do you relax? I make art and walk my dog.

Tell us a secret about yourself. I cannot read maps.

Who’s another artist you’d like to shout out to? A big shout out to the fabulous artist and poet Colette O'Kane!

What’s next for you after the Art Show? I have just been taken on as a resident artist at Kate and John Morrison's exciting new gallery called The Art Shop in Armagh St here in Christchurch. Plus I have more exhibitions planned at art shows and galleries in Auckland, Christchurch, Nelson and Wellington. I have also had some interest from galleries in Europe and Australia which was put on hold due to Covid but I am looking to pursue those avenues this year. You can see all my upcoming exhibitions on my website. I am also currently developing ideas for two new collections. I have some really fun new ideas - so watch this space. It’s gonna be a wild ride!

anncicianiart.com

The Christchurch Art Show
Te Pae Convention Centre
Friday 24 – Monday 27 June
chchartshow.co.nz

Duncan Nash takes a break from working with his tin sculptures to tell us about his life, and preparing for The Christchurch Art Show.

Tell us a bit about yourself. Well I'm an import, as I was born and grew up in the UK. I've always had a passion for art and building things. My dad's motto used to be "why would I buy one when I can make it myself," so that definitely inspired me to get creative. I've studied product design and illustration and worked as a graphic designer, screen printer, signwriter and technical illustrator. I love anything which engages my art brain and lets me learn new skills. I came to New Zealand in 2000 and made the move to Christchurch in 2012 to be part of the re-build. It's a fantastic place to live with so many contrasting places to explore and find inspiration. If I'm not in the workshop covered in paint and a few bruises from hammering tiny nails all day, I can usually be found on one of the local bike trails covered in mud, and more bruises.

What kind of art do you create? Typically three-dimensional, either wall hanging pieces or larger free-standing sculptures, all made using the metal from tin cans and occasionally other re-purposed items.

How do you bring the industrial together with the artistic? The great thing about using tin cans as a medium is being able to apply the corrugations in the metal almost like paint stokes. Changing the direction or using a different part of the metal alters the look and the texture of the piece. I always like to paint my work rather than leave the bare metal. I find adding bright colours and playing with a mixture of finishes gives me another way to transform the appearance of the surface and give more character to the final result.

What would you like people to take away from your art? I'd like it to inspire other people to have a go at the one idea they had for a piece of art but didn't because they thought it was too different or a bit weird. You won’t know if there's an audience for your ideas unless you give them something to look at.

What are you planning to display at the Art Show? I've been working on a new style that I didn't have at the last Christchurch show so I'm excited to show this, and hopefully a large sculpture for visitors to enjoy.

What do you like about meeting the public at the show? I love seeing the different reactions I get to my work and the conversations I get to have. It's great to be able to talk to someone and discover there's a cool back-story as to why they chose my piece of art. Sometimes the best thing can just be seeing someone walk away with a smile on their face.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received? "Sit down and make a list of what you need to do." This never fails to diffuse the zombie apocalypse that occupies my brain in place of basic organisation skills.

What are you listening to and bingewatching at the moment? There's always a true crime podcast on my playlist, and I'm currently watching the various seasons of Taskmaster UK while asking myself "What would I do?"

How do you relax? I usually go for a very slow walk with my 15-year-old dog. It's quite calming to be overtaken by a convoy of snails.

Tell us a secret about yourself. I like to tell everyone my favourite movie genre is horror but it's actually Hallmark Christmas movies.

Who’s another artist you’d like to shout out to? It's hard to pick just one. I'd give a shout out to all the artists I’ve met through Arts Canterbury who produce amazing work and are hugely supportive of each other and their art. Maybe also Andy Warhol who obviously doesn't need the exposure but if he's watching I hope he approves of what I’m creating with soup cans.

What’s next for you after the Art Show? I'd like to work on more large sculptures as I really enjoy the bigger scale and the challenges it brings. Also a trip to the supermarket to stock up on baked beans and tinned tomatoes.

tincanstudio.co.nz

The Christchurch Art Show
Te Pae Convention Centre
Friday 24 – Monday 27 June
chchartshow.co.nz

The visual spectacular stage production is bringing the magic back to Wellington this September.

It was a gutting year for World of WearableArt (WOW) fans when the 2021 show was cancelled at the last minute, but all the Aotearoa and international finalists now have a chance to show off their stuff at a mind-blowing two-week event. The capital city will host an audience of over 60,000 from across the country, with designers coming from around the world.

The show is legendary. With a new cutting-edge creative vision this year by executive creative director Brian Burke. Brian is a Las Vegas show-maker, creative producer of America’s Got Talent, and co-executive producer of American Ido. Each night the stage will come alive with incredible works of wearable art, dancers, aerialists, and foot-tapping beats. A digital effects team will add to the spectacle with breath-taking AV creations.

“After two difficult years of having to cancel WOW shows, we are looking forward to bringing back the magic of our theatrical event, and celebrating our amazing designers from all over the world and their incredible garments," says WOW Founder and resident judge Dame Suzie Moncrieff. "We welcome our audiences back to Wellington and can’t wait take them on a spectacular journey of theatre, art and design.”

Wellington
Thursday 29 September – Sunday 16 October
worldofwearableart.com

What started out as a way to get more homegrown tunes on the radio all the way back in the year 2000 is now a fully-fledged, 31-day celebration of the talent produced right here on our shores. It is an anticipated event on our cultural calendar, and one that artists from up and down the country, established and fledgling alike, get whole-heartedly behind.

This year’s theme is Level Up, all about shining a light on the up-and-comers set to be our next big stars. It is supported by a range of events designed to help artists upskill and advance to the next level of their careers, such as Synthonics Electronic Music Production workshops run by RDU 98.5. There will also be gigs, new releases, music documentaries and other special events throughout the month, so ways to get your groove on are basically endless.

If you need an extra helping hand, check out our playlist of New Zealand music below. It’s got old favourites and new bangers, everything you need for a feel-good roadie, barbie, or chilled-out Sunday afternoon.

The Latest

Music released between 2020 and 2022

‘Why Oh Why’ L.A.B, L.A.B IV

Almost all of L.A.B’s cruisy, reggae-influenced tracks are infectious and feel-good, perfect for long summer days and gatherings with friends. ‘Why Oh Why’ is no exception, a soft and heartfelt love song that doubles as a surefire earworm, bringing the goosebumps just as surely as the grooving.

‘Foxbright’ Reb Fountain, IRIS

Reb Fountain has been on an unstoppable upwards trajectory in recent years, despite the hurdles brought about by a global pandemic. Her new album IRIS elevates her to still new heights, combining her trademark folk-punk sound with her soulful, stunning voice that feels both intimate and anthemic. ‘Foxbright’ is both mesmerising and brooding, something to make you feel things while you sip whisky in a dimly-lit bar somewhere.

‘Dreamswimmer’ Mā, Breakfast with Hades

Mā is an emerging talent with a background in theatre sound design that gives her debut album an irresistibly immersive feel. Her euphoric neo-soul album opener, ‘Dreamswimmer’, is the kind of track you can tip your head back on a sunny afternoon and totally lose yourself in.

Hit The Road

The ultimate roadie beats

'Wandering Eye' Fat Freddy's Drop, Based On A True Story

There’s just something about this banger from Fat Freddy’s Drop that makes us want to salute to the epic good times with a bunch of our closest pals. Is it the funky electro-reggae vibes? Or the fact that John Campbell makes a cheeky cameo in the music video? Who knows, and quite frankly, who cares? ‘Wandering Eye’ is one of those staple songs that you can play on repeat and never get sick of. The song cemented the seven-piece band as a force to be reckoned with in the music industry and the band has gone on to produce some of the slickest reggae-infused, rootsy-dub songs that will grace your ears.

'Groove Again' Katchafire, On The Road Again

The lads from Katchafire not only have some serious street cred to their name, they’re also bound to feature on many a playlist thanks to their 10/10 reggae and funk beats. Their hit ‘Groove Again’ off their 2010 album On The Road Again is a true roadie classic – in fact that whole album is a godsend for when you’re tasked with DJ duties in the car and are unsure of what to play next. Chuck it on when you’re boosting it on the open road for guaranteed good times.

'Don't Forget Your Roots' Six60, Six60

What would a roadie be if it didn’t have a bit of Six60 on there? The Dunedin natives have taken the world by storm since they broke onto the music scene with their song ‘Don’t Forget Your Roots’. It’s a fitting title for their song as the five-piece formed while attending the University of Otago and subsequently took on the name Six60 after their flat’s address. The band try to frequent their old stomping ground as much as possible (while they’re not off tearing up the stages abroad) and Dunedin always holds a special place in their heart as does the aforementioned song in our hearts.

Throwin' It Back

Get your nostalgia on

'Slice of Heaven' Dave Dobbyn, Footrot Flats - The Dog's Tale

No matter where you are, be it stuck in 5pm traffic or off on an overseas excursion, as soon as Dave Dobbyn’s seminal 1986 song ‘Slice of Heaven’ hits the airwaves, a sense of nostalgia is tapped to take over you. The sweet melodies of Dobbyn’s tune will most likely find you swaying in time or belting out the three titular words that deserve their own star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame.

'Victoria' The Exponents, Prayers be Answered

If your name was Victoria, you probably felt hella special knowing that: 1. It was the title of The Exponents 1983 song; and 2. Heartthrob Jordan Luck was repeating it over and over in his deep husky voice. Not only would you revel in the fact that your friends would look at you and mouth Victoria in sync with the band when they played the song but you probably felt some deep-rooted and spiritual connection to them. All that aside, ‘Victoria’ is a classic and without fail can always get a room up and dancing.

'Gutter Black' Hello Sailor, The Sailor Story 1975 - 1996

Hello Sailor’s ‘Gutter Black’ found favour among Kiwi crowds when it became the opening song on one of the best New Zealand TV series, Outrageous Fortune (arguments will be had if there is disagreement about this), and it ultimately became synonymous with the antics of the motley family. It’s a song that we believe is worthy of a feature on our throwbacks because: 1. It was released in 1977 (serious throwback material); and 2. We love it. Enough said.

Feel Good Friday

Cruise into the weekend

'How Bizarre' OMC, How Bizarre

We don’t know about you, but as soon as we hear OMC’s ‘How Bizarre’, we get this insatiable urge to stop what we’re doing and jam out to this iconic ’95 tune. Cemented as one of the greatest New Zealand songs of all time – straight fact thanks to the Australasian Performing Rights Association – the song also won the award for Single of the Year at the 1996 New Zealand Music Awards.

'Poi E' Pātea Māori Club, Poi E

If you aren’t familiar with this song, then pack your bags and book a one-way ticket outta New Zealand. Simply uttering the phrase ‘I don’t know this song’ in public may see you getting some serious side eye, looks of utter disgust and maybe even some profanities hurled your way. OK, no we lie, you’ll most definitely have profanities hurled your way. Written by Māori linguist Ngoi Pēwhairangi and performed by the Pātea Māori Club, ‘Poi E’ was a No.1 stunner on the Kiwi music charts and was a way to promote pride among Māori youth in a popular format. The hit also found favour among the Brits when Pātea Māori Club toured the big UK – three minutes and 57 seconds of pure Kiwi music bliss.

'Always On My Mind' Tiki Taane, Past, Present, Future

One of the OG members of Kiwi band Salmonella Dub, Tiki Taane has been experimenting, performing and producing music for the better part of two decades. No stranger to the scene, he’s credited with bringing a powerful live performance to his gigs. Fun fact, he’d start the first part of the gig mixing the set then jump on stage to perform in the latter part. His 2008 album Past, Present, Future went double-platinum on Recorded Music New Zealand and the hit tune ‘Always On My Mind’ served some serious ‘lax vibes. We can’t help but smile when those opening bars start to play.

Rickie Dee and James Rigden started contemporary fashion boutique Superette when they were 21. Two decades later, they've accumulated a fair amount of business wisdom.

Congratulations on 20 years in business! Did you ever think Superette would go this far?

Rickie: Thank you! To be honest, I don’t think we really thought about it. We were always taking it day by day. Not forecasting for the future in any way. We did have a lot of odds against us, being young, doing something that was so new and fresh, being in the back streets. But we were so motivated to do what we could to make it work.

James: There were a lot of lessons learnt before we learnt how to forecast. That first decade was really about figuring it all out. I remember there was someone that was overheard saying “These guys won’t make it past six months,” and that really fuelled the fire to keep going and prove them wrong.

When could you say “Superette is a success”?

R: I don’t think success is ever an end point, it’s always a journey. I don’t think you ever go “Right, we’re there.” When you get out of those challenging early days, things like being able to pay bills, having a strong team and understanding who we were as a brand were certainly stepping stones to being successful.

J: Definitely being able to pay the bills is a good one. Ha! There was definitely a moment there when we stopped chasing the brands and the brands started chasing us. It was really cool when brands came to us and also when people started wanting to work for us. When you can employ people that you want to employ with the right skillset that can take the business to the next level, that is really exciting.

What’s a trend you miss?

R: There’s nothing we really miss. A big part of fashion really is about the trends that come and go. At the time, they were really exciting. Even looking back at a printed jean – like the leopard jean – that had a real moment, they were so great at the time.

It’s probably fair to say you’ve helped nurture some brands onto the Kiwi fashion scene. Do any hold a special place in your heart?

R: All of our brands hold a special place in our heart regardless of whether it’s an established or emerging brand. Zoe & Morgan is a good example of a significant Kiwi brand we’ve worked with for a long time, right from the beginning. Deadly Ponies was another – we really grew together. We were the first stockist of Deadly Ponies and it was an iconic brand within our store for many years.

J: Stolen Girlfriends Club was another brand we worked with for years really closely. I remember the ‘Relax’ tee, it was major. Just Another Fisherman is another brand more recently. It certainly is a big part of what we like to do – building that relationship with our brands, telling their story and growing with them.

How do you pick items for the store?

J: Always asking ourselves whether we would want it ourselves.

R: We’ve also come to know our customer really well and understand who we are buying it for. Also, ensuring the curation of our product is just right so we’re providing the best possible experience for our customers.

Online shopping has been massive the last couple of years. Do you think you’ll ever leave bricks and mortar behind?

R: No, never. They’re where we came from, where it all started. We’re passionate about the tangible, tactile experience of the store and having the synergy of both an online and brick-and-mortar store is really important.

J: People often go out and shop for their own entertainment. It's an experience and it’s nice to get away from that digital screen every now and again. For us, we will always invest in our stores and be constantly improving our fitouts and looking for new locations.

Favourite piece of fashion this winter season?

R: A Camilla and Marc trench coat or Anine Bing Kaia Blazer.

J: A puffer jacket by The North Face or a Helmut Lang sweater.

Hottest brand right now?

R: Our in-house brand is performing well for us, but it will never take over our store. We always want to be a multi-branded store. There’s also some really exciting top-tier designers that we have introduced in our Superette International store with the likes of Max Mara, A.P.C, Alexander Wang and more to come. Our brand offering at Superette International is made up of those top-tier established designers from every corner of the globe. It’s a different product selection than what’s on offer in our core Superette stores.

J: We’ve introduced some really exciting new men’s brands, as this is a space we’re really trying to grow. It’s exciting to have some of those well-known key brands like The North Face, Ralph Lauren Polo, Carhartt, Maison Kitsuné and more to come.

If you could give the world one style tip, what would it be?

R: Don’t try to force it. Wear something that feels comfortable and true to you.

J: Wear whatever makes you feel good.

What’s your must-have accessory?

R: An Alexander Wang bag.

J: A cap or a duffel bag.

What are you planning for the next year?

R: Off the back of Covid we’ve actually had a really collaborative month within the business. We’re in the process of resetting and setting ourselves up for the year. It’s exciting to get moving again. It means we can go and see our designers and reconnect with them and go and discover new brands. We’re also celebrating 20 years of being in business.

J: New brands, new fitouts, new stores, expanding the brand mix online and celebrating our 20-year anniversary of Superette.

And the next 20 years?

J: Like from day one, who knows where we will be but we’re definitely not stopping and we’ll continue to innovate, create and be better than yesterday.

superette.co.nz

From his studio in Wellington, Bruce Mortimer produces excellent artworks in many different styles, from fine art photography to expressionistic paintings. He paints us a picture of his life as he prepares for the 2022 Christchurch Art Show.

Tell us a bit about yourself. Third Culture kid, creative from a young age, and a fine art photographer for much of my adult life before rediscovering traditional mediums. Ambidextrous, multilingual and difficult to categorize, I am no more an artist than I am the other pursuits that I have. I am an explorer and adventurer by nature, I renovate my own property, I play and listen to music, I have some enthusiasm for vehicles and mechanics, I am innovative, an athlete and I am interested in psychology. I trained as an earth scientist. I've left some stuff out because I get overwhelmed, let alone anyone else reading this.

What kind of art do you create? Hopefully art that has meaning, and that has impact when displayed.

What would you like people to take away from your art? Having created both finely detailed photorealistic work as well as very loose expressionistic pieces I would like the audience to lose any preconceived idea they may have that it matters how long it takes to create an artwork, or that that should somehow be linked to value. In fact, for the latter it's often an inverse relationship, which most people, perhaps a lot of artists included, don't seem to understand.

What are you planning to display at the Art Show? A single series of works, despite being a multiple-medium artist working in various styles. Loose landscape expressionism in subtle colours might describe them.

What do you like about meeting the public at the show? For an introvert such as myself with some extrovert tendencies, I like the temporary interactions that each meeting provides, and that art can be a trigger for sharing and exchanging views that go well beyond the obvious.

Are there any artistic media you haven’t yet dabbled in, that you’re dying to try? If and when I get a strong urge to dabble in something new, I dabble immediately. This happens fairly regularly, and not just with art. So as we speak no, there aren't, but next week you might see something new from me.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received? None of it is quantifiable as better or worse than any other advice. Advice is just a by-product of interacting with others who have experiences different to you, but nothing beats finding your own way. Also, receiving advice is quite unrelated to following it. There are people I know that inspire me to do the opposite of what they do. So I take advice from people just by listening to their own path and seeing how that fits in with mine, and then I go on an adventure.

What are you watching at the moment? Every evening for the last few weeks, we've watched an episode of The Chase. It is a program that allows all four of us in my family currently living together to interact and discuss things while it's on. So it's about engagement with the content, a bit like you want art to be for an audience.

How do you relax? I generally run as far and as fast as I can within an allotted time.

Tell us a secret about yourself. No, obviously.

Who’s another artist you’d like to shout out to? Not one in particular. It's tough to single people out when there are many who I appreciate and then only connect with them sporadically at shows. My major influences are international artists that don't feature in our shows, and whose work might be very different to mine but something about their ethics, or the scale they work at, or their apparent courage resonates with me. They might be visual artists, or performing artists, or musicians.  

What’s next for you after the Art Show? Heading back home to prepare for the next event, via what I'm sure will be a long and winding route, looking for landscapes to photograph and enjoying every kilometre in the company of ever-changing scenery.

FB/bruce.mortimer

See Bruce's work at the Christchurch Art Show
Te Pae Convention Centre
Friday 24 - Monday 27 June
chchartshow.co.nz