My work as a creative facilitator has become an integral part to the various arms of my practice. Using photography, I record traces of human activity in the surrounding environment. I curate images from suburban streets, natural environments and industrial areas. I am drawn to the Japanese aesthetic of wabi sabi, *the acceptance of transience and imperfection. Things that are discarded or arranged by others and weathered by time and/or the elements hold a gritty sort of beauty and charm for me. Please visit @damhsaofaeons on Instagram to see my gallery of photographs. For this exhibition I wanted to make something that merges my photography, my work as a creative facilitator, and my interest in collaboration with others. The collaborative works in this exhibition were made with the children in my classes using standard children’s art materials and a process often used in primary school art curriculum.
As humans we have been scratching on surfaces since prehistoric times and this desire to make a mark runs consistently throughout human history. I am interested in the relationships we have with the environment in shared creative spaces and how it resonates out into the wider public and natural environment. Collection, storage of and accessibility to materials in shared spaces are integral to my practice as a facilitator and artist. This is an aspect of my practice that I would like to investigate further. My practice is influenced by the work and ideas of Rhonda Kellogg and Marta Cabral. I am also interested in the Reggio Emilia school of thought. Visit www.makelikeatree.co.nz or @make_like_a_tree on Instagram to see art made by the children I work alongside.
I have a Bachelor of Visual Arts from AUT and I am a Registered Nurse, though I no longer practise. I also work with adults with diverse needs including those whose lives have been affected by stroke at Mapura Studios.
CO01. Arty Crafty Club Mornings (CHILDREN)
CO02. Arty Crafty Club Afternoons (CHILDREN)
