ipu uku Olivia Asher
ipu uku
This body is a vessel,
It is a tool.
I unpack the meaning attached to the vessel
As I unpack the meaning attached to myself.
It carries me
It carries a home
For which I seek to find myself in.
The vessel carries into the ipu
Though they may seem the same
They are not
The ipu is the carrier of (my) self
The vessel is what came before it.
I oscillate between my Māori and Pākehā identity.
It is a slow, thoughtful, meditative process.
It is an act of coiling
It is an act of mending (myself)
It is not something that can be rushed.
I shape the uku (knowledge) into something
substantial - an ipu (an identity).
Through this process, a reciprocal relationship is
formed with myself,
my materials, and my whakapapa.
Hand built, hand pinched.
I sit at my bench and mend the uku into itself
(in this instance, I am the uku)
with every few layers
I wait, let it rest
For what is underneath needs to harden into a
foundation
(of knowledge, of memory),
so it can support itself, so it can support me.
Read about Olivia Ashers process making 'ipu uku' and her exploration of self identity here.
Artists
Olivia Asher
Olivia Asher (Ngāti Tūwharetoa) is an interdisciplinary artist based in Tāmaki Makaurau. Olivia embraces experimentation and spontaneity through the materiality of her work. Making becomes a meditative process, where she immerses herself in the present moment, exploring the exchange between intention and intuition. Seeking a visceral response to her work, Olivia harnesses the tactile and sensory qualities of her materials through the transformative use of colour.
Olivia holds a BFA from Te Waka Tūhura Elam School of Fine Arts and Design.
Olivia Asher
Olivia Asher (Ngāti Tūwharetoa) is an interdisciplinary artist based in Tāmaki Makaurau. Olivia embraces experimentation and spontaneity through the materiality of her work. Making becomes a meditative process, where she immerses herself in the present moment, exploring the exchange between intention and intuition. Seeking a visceral response to her work, Olivia harnesses the tactile and sensory qualities of her materials through the transformative use of colour.
Olivia holds a BFA from Te Waka Tūhura Elam School of Fine Arts and Design.
Olivia Asher
Olivia Asher (Ngāti Tūwharetoa) is an interdisciplinary artist based in Tāmaki Makaurau. Olivia embraces experimentation and spontaneity through the materiality of her work. Making becomes a meditative process, where she immerses herself in the present moment, exploring the exchange between intention and intuition. Seeking a visceral response to her work, Olivia harnesses the tactile and sensory qualities of her materials through the transformative use of colour.
Olivia holds a BFA from Te Waka Tūhura Elam School of Fine Arts and Design.
Olivia Asher
Olivia Asher (Ngāti Tūwharetoa) is an interdisciplinary artist based in Tāmaki Makaurau. Olivia embraces experimentation and spontaneity through the materiality of her work. Making becomes a meditative process, where she immerses herself in the present moment, exploring the exchange between intention and intuition. Seeking a visceral response to her work, Olivia harnesses the tactile and sensory qualities of her materials through the transformative use of colour.
Olivia holds a BFA from Te Waka Tūhura Elam School of Fine Arts and Design.
Olivia Asher
Olivia Asher (Ngāti Tūwharetoa) is an interdisciplinary artist based in Tāmaki Makaurau. Olivia embraces experimentation and spontaneity through the materiality of her work. Making becomes a meditative process, where she immerses herself in the present moment, exploring the exchange between intention and intuition. Seeking a visceral response to her work, Olivia harnesses the tactile and sensory qualities of her materials through the transformative use of colour.
Olivia holds a BFA from Te Waka Tūhura Elam School of Fine Arts and Design.
Olivia Asher
Olivia Asher (Ngāti Tūwharetoa) is an interdisciplinary artist based in Tāmaki Makaurau. Olivia embraces experimentation and spontaneity through the materiality of her work. Making becomes a meditative process, where she immerses herself in the present moment, exploring the exchange between intention and intuition. Seeking a visceral response to her work, Olivia harnesses the tactile and sensory qualities of her materials through the transformative use of colour.
Olivia holds a BFA from Te Waka Tūhura Elam School of Fine Arts and Design.
Olivia Asher
Olivia Asher (Ngāti Tūwharetoa) is an interdisciplinary artist based in Tāmaki Makaurau. Olivia embraces experimentation and spontaneity through the materiality of her work. Making becomes a meditative process, where she immerses herself in the present moment, exploring the exchange between intention and intuition. Seeking a visceral response to her work, Olivia harnesses the tactile and sensory qualities of her materials through the transformative use of colour.
Olivia holds a BFA from Te Waka Tūhura Elam School of Fine Arts and Design.
