In Loving Memory

Essentially this body of work is an extension of Alexis Neal’s exploration of personal adornment and material culture in defining a place for women’s cultural identity, giving them a voice and thereby redrawing stories of the past as an essential part of the present. Paying homage to skills from the past and their continued prevalence in our day to day lives, too celebrate our heritage and the skills of the women.

On reflection ‘In Loving Memory’ is strongly influenced by New Zealand’s painted history and more importantly informed by our printed history. The show is made up of four components; the first is thirteen elegant etched & relief prints representing the interior walls of the whare nui, or house of knowledge. To compliment these works are three feather sewn canvases paying homage to a number of great Maori weavers whose fine skills we have the privilege of viewing in museums and private collections. The woven component of this show is represented by a paper flower spray signifying a sentimental yearning for the past and the things that are left behind and unsaid, nostalgic memories while demanding the viewer to question their immortality.

The final component is a set of Lithographic prints entitled ‘Birds of Warfare’, these prints are accompanied by two elaborate feather headdresses, a more playful interpretation of customary headdresses which refers to previous research looking at similarities between material cultures around the world and the use of feathers as adornment.

In essence ‘In Loving Memory’ embraces our inheritance and artefacts that we identify with as being part of our history but which remain far removed from our present generation, the original meaning often obscured by time and place.

Alexis Neal’s studio practice is interdisciplinary, combining elements of print; feather sewn canvases, weaving and installation to embrace Maori traditional whakapapa within a contemporary context.  This is her third solo show which started as an exploration of the surface of woven cloak or korowai and has culminated in this celebration of women’s cultural identity and her place in material culture

Special thanks to Marty Vreede for the use of print facilities at Wanganui UCOL Thanks to friends and family for your continued help and support.