Talking Heads: an exhibition exploring culture and gender

At the end of August, two Christchurch artists had a successful exhibition, for which LDC not only wrote and distributed the press release but also carried out the the marketing.

17 August 2017: Two Christchurch artists are exhibiting their work from Friday 25 August until August 31, at Next Gallery in Christchurch. It will be an exhibition of portraiture, but with a difference.

Self-portraits by at least 80 participants will be on display, many by Fine Art students from Banaras Hindu University. Consequently, it will be a kind of dialogue between New Zealand and Asia and will highlight the differences in gender and culture between the two regions and communities. Over time, the exhibition will include other countries, with the intention of encouraging further dialogue between communities.

The idea is the brainchild of one of the artists, Stephanie McEwin, who won the Ethel Susan Rose Fine Arts Travelling Scholarship last year to go to Varansi in India while she was completing her Masters Degree at the Fine Arts School at Canterbury University. This resulted in her making a connection with Banaras Hindu University and inviting fine arts students there to participate in a self-portrait exhibition. She has also invited the arts community in Christchurch to submit self portraits.

Stephanie intends to show the exhibition in India where she has been invited to exhibit.

Jon Jeet, a portrait artist and former Masters student at the Fine Arts School at Canterbury University will also be displaying his work, which is based on self-portraiture. His work is entitled: “Fifty flattened brown berry silhouette selfies with repetitive blue mazey lines alongside crude clip art renderings that speak of personal living space”.

Talking Heads opens at Next Gallery, 336 St Asaph Street, Christchurch on 25 August at 5.30 pm. All are welcome. Entry is free.

For more information contact:
Stephanie McEwin
Facebook: www.stephaniemcewin.co.nz