Arts Makers Aotearoa is excited to announce HEART TALK, a series of essays written by and about artists, that provide inspiration and nourishment for all you creatives out there!
An essay will drop every Wednesday on the AMA website starting from March 12th.
Featuring mahi from: Piupiu Maya Turei, Leafa Wilson, Tunmise Adebowale, Maia Keane, Manu Vaea, Molly Rangiwai-McHale & Luisa Tora.
By sharing from the ngākau about creativity, inertia, struggles, vulnerabilities and strengths, our artists in this series provide guidance and nourishment to creative folks of any age or skill level. Wander through the essays and fall into the blues of Blackness in Oceanic art practices, the shadowy self-interiors that are revealed within creative collaboration, invite yourself to get cosy with reality and the unknown, understand culture as a living practice, cultivate the artistic self that has less shame and more fun and be proud, tangata Māori mā, of everything you bring your people!
Editor Van Mei says — “It’s been such a dream working with artists on these pieces of writing, who think so deeply from their hearts, mind and bodies. I really believe that making art is much more than ‘a career’, it is a way of extending ourselves towards each other and bringing dynamic relationships to culture, existence and our own interiors. It can be really deep, spiritual work. Making art can often feel unrewarding, painful and demanding in the perilous, broke city times we live in. But to me these writings exemplify why the art we create is so important, and why we must continue. Hopefully they’ll help you to see the vitality of your own mahi, and in maintaining your relationship to craft, the earth, and each other.”
The essays will also be published on The Big Idea.