CHARLOTTE GRAHAM

HOW WERE YOU FIRST INTRODUCED TO THIS TYPE OF WORK/ARTISTIC PRACTICE - AND WHAT DID YOU ENJOY ABOUT YOUR EARLY EXPLORATION OF IT?

I was raised within an artist whanau. My great grandfather George Samuel Graham was a historian and poetic translator, my grandmother Rose Isobel Simons a tailor, my Aunty Emily Karaka and uncle Mikaara Kirkwood were painters/printermakers. I have many more aunties and uncles including cousins who are master carvers and weavers, glass artists, sculptors and printmakers. Both my sisters weave and my second eldest sister Raewyn also graduated with a Bachelor of Design, Unitec majoring in Paint. Our whanau adopts an inherent can do attitude and creativity is something we just grew up around. My mother even worked with her mother as a child constructing the tukutuku panels for our marae and my Nana Mei Huiawarua used to make all the plastic kete and rourou for events. It was like a maorified whanau sweat shop most weekends except I don’t recall my aunties and uncles being paid lol and I don’t think that they had the smell of kanga wei wafting throughout the house while they wove their baaskets.

HOW HAS YOUR WORK/ARTISTIC PRACTICE CHANGED AND DEVELOPED OVER THE YEARS? WHAT FACTORS DO YOU THINK AFFECTED THIS?

My work has developed over the years in that I move seamlessly through disciplines. I think the fact that I consider myself to be a conceptual artist has always led me to believe that I can develop work to suit the concept and therefore have no restrictions as to how I might visualize an artwork. I find politics and environment are the most defining influencers of my work. They provide a spring of potential new exhibitions.

PLEASE DESCRIBE WHERE YOU WORK FROM? WHAT DO YOU FIND SPECIAL ABOUT LIVING OUT WEST?

I’m Pare Waikato, Pare Hauraki. I’m a proud descendant with tribal ties on both parents sides to Waikato being Ngāti Mahuta, Ngai Tai ki Tamaki and Ngāti Tamaoho. This gives me strong ancestral ties to my Te Kawerau a maki whanau and in turn the Waitakere ranges/ Te wao nui a Tiriwa and west coast. My love for Te Manukanuka a Hoturoa comes from my growing up and being connected in Tamaki with both our whanau Marae: Whatapaka and Te Puea marae both overlooking the Manuka Harbour. My father grew up as a child till he was 12 on Ambury farm too. He lived off the manukau on scallops, scallops and more scallops, not to mention the many varieties of fish. As a young child I lived at the side of Maungakiekie till we moved to our whanau home in Waikowhai. My connection to maunga also Also on dads side if we extend our arms out to the Waitemata we can reach out to Tapapakanga where my nanny came from.

My love for the west has got to be with our beaches and our forests. The land is so deep, lush and green and we have the most beautiful, hot and healing sands and ferocious waves that can sweep the day off you with one short swim. Ive recently moved my studio back to home in Glen Eden, its all there and I love it. I’d describe my studio as a well organized rabbit warren full of material.

WHAT CAN VISITORS EXPECT TO SEE WHEN THEY VISIT YOUR STUDIO DURING OSW?

You can expect to find my famous bird wood cut print series, drawings, paintings large and small. I also have many mixed media artworks ready to wrap, pack and take with you. There are a variety of framed and unframed works that relate to the land or sea, Auckland and Hauraki gulf.

I have a special raindrop series and print series framed just for this. There are some great prexmas deals for the early birds.

NAME YOUR TOP 5 SECRET SPOTS YOU LIKE TO VISIT IN THE WAITAKERE RANGES?

Piha Beach
Anawhata Beach
Piha Bowler for a shandy and game of bowls
Arataki Centre (it has the best public scenic view and staff)
My hikoi/ walk up West Coast Rd

Photos by: Sarah Allen
www.sarahallenphoto.co.nz