Sofia Minson Oil Paintings

Maori Designs In Our Art – Appropriated or Legitimate?

Sofia Minson | Oil Painting — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 22:16:33 +0000

Kia ora friends,

I’ve been asked a culturally sensitive question by a Scandinavian man who at one point spent time living in New Zealand. I’d like to put it to you all because although the issue has been discussed in the public arena before, I’m not quite sure what the answer is or where to find it.

Canvassing The Treaty (Part 2 of 6)

Sofia Minson | Oil Painting — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 22:00:11 +0000

Here’s part 2 of 6 of the doco Canvassing The Treaty – a thought provoking art and social experiment following six New Zealand artists as they gain deeper insights into the Treaty of Waitangi and create cross-cultural collaborative artworks.

The Artists: Mike Davison, Samapeap Tarr, Sofia Minson, Kura Te Waru Rewiri, Dagmar Dyck and Chris Bryant

The Treaty Educators: Moana Jackson and Ingrid Hughens

Ngapuhi Elder: Kingi Taurua

Part 3 of 6 coming next week

Canvassing The Treaty copyright Tumanako Productions

Written by Sofia Minson from NewZealandArtwork.com

Canvassing The Treaty (Part 1 of 6)

Sofia Minson | Oil Painting — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 23:10:20 +0000

**As promised, here is the first installment of the full-length art documentary Canvassing The Treaty.**

The thought provoking art and social experiment follows six New Zealand artists, three Maori and three non-Maori, as they gain deeper insights into the Treaty of Waitangi and create cross-cultural collaborative artworks.

In Part 1 of 6…

We meet the artists and learn about their diverse Maori, European and Asian heritage:

Mike Davison – Pakeha
Samapeap Tarr – Cambodian / Pakeha
Sofia Minson – Ngati Porou / Irish / Swedish
Kura Te Waru Rewiri – Ngati Kahu / Ngati Raukawa
Dagmar Dyck – Tongan / German
Chris Bryant – Ngati Porou / Pakeha

The artists attend a treaty education workshop at Pakiri, north of Auckland, guided by Moana Jackson and Ingrid Hughens.

There are tears and feelings of hurt and guilt over historical injustices, as well as an eagerness to be educated and work together.

Ngapuhi kaumatua Kingi Taurua begins by saying “the treaty needs to be talked about again.”

Stay tuned for Part 2 of 6 next week

Canvassing The Treaty copyright Tumanako Productions Written by Sofia Minson from NewZealandArtwork.com

HANDS

Sofia Minson | Oil Painting — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 03:58:59 +0000

Life-Changing Art Collaboration Caught On Film

Sofia Minson | Oil Painting — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 21:01:15 +0000

I’d like to share my story with you about a life-changing art collaboration that was captured on film and became a feature documentary on Maori TV and at the FIFO international film festival this year.

I was among six New Zealand artists, three Maori and three non-Maori, who were treated to an intensive workshop on the Treaty of Waitangi. As it happens, I desperately needed this because of a lack of quality treaty education at school. We then paired up to create cross-cultural collaborative artworks during one jam-packed, sleep-deprived, amazing weekend at Te Tii Marae in Northland, New Zealand.

I collaborated with Samapeap Tarr, a Cambodian / New Zealand graffiti artist who is a master with a brush and blank ink.

The two of us painted a huge 2 x 2metre work together called Te Pou Tuatahi, which combines our styles and yet is totally different to anything either of us have done before.

Check out the creative magic that happens in this 15 minute cut down version of the documentary Canvassing The Treaty that focusses on the collaboration between Samapeap and I.

Through the project I gained self-knowledge, friendship, an in-depth perspective on the treaty and experienced my first and best art collaboration.

Any questions about the experience or the artwork? Let me know.

STAY TUNED FOR THE ONLY ONLINE RELEASE OF THE FULL-LENGTH DOCUMENTARY OVER SIX VIDEOS ON BLOG.NEWZEALANDARTWORK.COM

Canvassing The Treaty copyright Tumanako Productions.

Written by Sofia Minson from NewZealandArtwork.com

Radio New Zealand Interview – Part 2 of 2

Sofia Minson | Oil Painting — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 21:00:05 +0000

Before we get to the interview I’d like to say a big thanks to the ladies in charge at Parnell Gallery – Sally and Anna. We’ve had a tonne of interest over the past few weeks with clients and passers-by popping into the gallery to look at my works, particularly the large-scale portraits peering through the front window.

It’s been really neat to get that kind of feedback, so we’ve locked in my first exhibition with Parnell Gallery from 22 Nov – 6 Dec 2011, a joint show with Matt Gauldie.

Back to the interview… following on from last week where I started digging my way through the archives, here is the second half of my discussion with Kathryn Ryan on Radio New Zealand from 2008. We talk about my painting process, balancing creativity with business and self-promotion.

Written by Sofia Minson from NewZealandArtwork.com

Radio New Zealand Interview – Part 1 of 2

Sofia Minson | Oil Painting — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 20:45:08 +0000

This week I went into the archives and stumbled across a radio interview from three years ago. I figured, intstead of it hiding away on a CD in my drawer, I’d put it onto YouTube to share with you.

So here is the first half of an interview I had with journalist Kathryn Ryan on Radio New Zealand National’s Nine To Noon programme on 17th April 2008.

We talk about my love of art since childhood and how my teenage years living in Sri Lanka inspired a series of culturally diverse portraits. We also discuss the unlikely decision I made to shun the arts at school in favour of the sciences, only to become a professional artist at the age of 19 with my first public sell-out exhibition.

To accompany the audio there’s a slideshow of exhibition photos, travel pics and painting images.

Stay tuned for next week when the second half of the interview will be ready.

I look forward to hearing your questions and comments.

Written by Sofia Minson from NewZealandArtwork.com

First Video on My New Website “New Zealand Artwork .com”

Sofia Minson | Oil Painting — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 05:34:28 +0000

After spending a couple of intensive weeks online, my new website NewZealandArtwork.com is now up and running and I’ve added my first video on the Biography page introducing myself and my art (see below).

The purpose of the new site is to enable more interaction with videos and social media.

Also I now have a simple shopping cart facility, which is great for my limited edition prints.

Written by Sofia Minson from NewZealandArtwork.com

Maori Myths This Summer

Sofia Minson | Oil Painting — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 22:58:54 +0000

A hot La Niña Summer has arrived early in New Zealand this year. Although farmers are fearing dry conditions it’s absolutely joyous for those of us who will be soaking in Aotearoa’s beautiful coastline over Christmas. How about taking a book of Maori myths to the beach with you this summer? You could find yourself looking at mountains, rivers, the earth, the sky and our ocean horizon with new cultural resources and a sense of awe.

I’ve been painting feverishly in my Glen Innes studio of late and it’s not because of the warm weather, it’s because of the Maori myths. For years these ancient allegories have illuminated my concept of landscape topography, migration, natural forces, creation and spirituality. Making their way into my artworks these stories have facilitated my reconnection with Aotearoa.

I was brought up in a globetrotting Kiwi family and we had little to do with our Ngati Porou (Maori), Swedish, English and Irish ancestry. Due to my father’s engineering project management work we lived in Samoa, Sri Lanka and China and on our return to New Zealand when I was a teenager I felt ‘rootless’. I wanted to forge new links with this land so I could feel at home here.

Among other investigations into my heritage I turned to researching Maori legends and for six years I have been inspired to paint our landscapes, seascapes, bird life, carvings and waka (canoes), enriched with layers of these stories.

I have just finished three works pictured below, which are based on the legend of Kupe, the great Polynesian navigator who is said to have journeyed from his homeland Hawaiiki, to become the first person to discover Aotearoa. Themes of origins, journeys, dynamic life, deep stillness and spiritual connection with the land are explored. In all three paintings I have depicted my interpretation of Kupe’s ocean-going waka, the Matawhaorua, with its intricately carved tauihu (bow piece) and taurapa (stern post).

Why not make your own explorations into the abundance of Maori myths out there? They could make very rewarding summer reading.

I hope these paintings move you to feel, as I do, a renewed sense of closeness with this beautiful and mysterious South Pacific land.

What’s On This Summer:

Free Art Workshops, Exhibition and Sofia Minson Painting On-Site at Orakei Community Centre This Weekend

Sofia Minson | Oil Painting — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 10:03:51 +0000

Come and visit the Orakei Community Centre on Kepa Rd this weekend (Sat 9 and Sun 10 Oct) for the ARTauckland 2010 festivities.

Auckland East Arts Council is hosting their bi-annual exhibition and offering fun, free, hands-on art workshops for all ages. I’ll be the ‘Artist in Residence’ throughout Saturday and Sunday painting on-site, exhibiting my art and discussing with visitors my techniques and the way I draw from my heritage to inform my work.

Bring the family, come and have a chat, enjoy the fantastic exhibition and get creative!!!

Venue: Orakei Community Centre on Kepa Rd, Auckland, NZ

Hours: Saturday 9 October 10am-5pm, Sunday 10 October 10am-4pm

Entry: Free!

Urban Living October 2010