NorthTec tutor invited to Melanesian Arts Festival
NorthTec tutor and Maori carver Brian Mitchell (Ngati Hine) is one of five international artists who has been invited to participate in next month’s Identité Partagée (Shared Identity) symposium in New Caledonia.
Brian will join seven other artists at the live-in symposium in Nouméa to create a collaborative work which will be exhibited alongside other works by the artists in an exposition in Nouméa from 16-30 September.
“As a NorthTec graduate, it is truly an honour to be the only Maori carver selected to participate in the symposium.”
Brian will exhibit a selection of his wood carvings and will also participate in the creation of a collaborative sculpture with indigenous artists from around the Pacific which will be presented as a gift to the people of the New Caledonia’s sourthern province.
“Being of Ngati Hine descent, I wanted to incorporate an element from home into the collaborative sculpture design, not only to express the tribal relationships between the Melanesians and Maori, but to raise awareness of whale conservation. Ngati Wai names Whangarei harbour Whangarei-to-rerenga-paraoa (the gather place of whales) because whales gathered here to feed during summer. These same whales are known to also frequent New Caledonia’s beautiful waters and lagoons.”
Brian leaves for Noumea, New Caledonia on 28 August. The Identité Partagée symposium coincides with the Melanesian Arts Festival.
NorthTec is the Tai Tokerau (Northland) region's largest provider of tertiary education, with campuses and learning centres in Whangarei, Kerikeri, Rāwene, Kaikohe and Kaitaia. NorthTec also has over 60 community-based delivery points from Coatesville in rural Rodney to Ngataki in the Far North.
