The Original Art Sale 2010 took place on June 25-27 at TelstraClear Pacific Events Centre in Auckland, New Zealand was a celebration of Matariki - Maori's New Year, as well as a platform for New Zealand's artists to unfold their talents and creativities.
Maori New Year Matariki
The Original Art Sale event gathered more than 14,000 artworks created by more than 400 artists to represent the Matariki theme. In the Maori language, Matariki is the name for the star cluster Pleiades, an indicator of the upcoming seasons, so it is referred to the Maori New Year. The rising of Matariki happens around June, the season of planting. Therefore, Matariki also means to celebrate and respect the earth we live.
Organised by Counties Manukau Pacific Trust, The Original Art Sale presents a variety of artworks which includes a wide ranges of styles, mediums and techniques. This event not only shared Maori cultures but also demonstrated New Zealanders' high appreciations of arts.
Flourishing Art Development In New Zealand
It is not difficult to tell how creative New Zealand's artists are from enjoying their artworks displayed in The Original Art Sale. Most of the creations challenge people's common recognition of arts and explore the unlimited possibility of what an art could be. Below are some examples of stunning artworks displayed in the event:
- Shark's Supper by David Arthur: In this painting, Arthur vividly depicts the scene of a shark catching a fish. The shark's blood red mouth and sharp teeth well catch the audience's eyes. While many oceanic paintings usually describe the beauty of either sea lives or seascapes, this piece exceeds people's expectations yet expresses a true nature.
- Octagon Library by Soo Eun Lee: This wooden piece is an exquisite sculpture representing three lofty book shelves. A fall-down chair and too-short ladder on the bottom seem to indicate the vast of knowledge and littleness of humans, and ingeniously echo the spirit of Matariki - respecting the earth we live.
- Lady In Gold & Lady In Silver by Keri Ivory: Ivory weaved two female bodies with metal wires. The softness of female bodies and hardness of metal wires bring a strong visual contrast and imply that women have both the characters of strong and tender.
- Pod by Darryl Fagence: This sculpture is made with metals and ceramics to form a pod-like shape. The shine of metals and roughness of clay surprisingly create a harmony into this piece.
Freedom of New Zealand Arts
Arts in some countries are controlled by the government, and in others are used to be tools for tax savings. However, In New Zealand, arts are not just decorative or functional items but hold significant spiritual meanings. It is very common to see a New Zealand family having artworks made by any family member at home. Arts seem to be essential parts of New Zealanders' lives.
People in this country have higher appreciations of arts compared to many other countries in the world probably because they have a more natural and less competitive living environment. New Zealand is indeed a place where artists can bring their talents into full play.
Meiling Chen - Meiling Chen is an experienced writer who has been working for DIGITIMES, a leading Taiwan media and consulting company focusing on the IT ...
