Fifty Canterbury artists, from household names to emerging talent, will transform vintage suitcases into one-of-a-kind artworks in a fundraising event where the story matters more than the signature.
Suitcase Stories, presented by Chapter 1 Gallery, brings together art, storytelling and fashion to raise funds for local causes, Koru Care Christchurch and Nurse Maude.
Each suitcase will carry a luggage tag with the artist’s personal inspiration behind the work. The identity of who painted each individual suitcase will remain the secret throughout the exhibition – every artwork will be judged solely on connection. You will know who the artists are just not what suitcase they painted.
“Every suitcase tells a story. You don’t know where that person has been or where they’re going. The people of Christchurch have many stories to tell,” says the woman? person behind Suitcase Stories,” Chapter1 Gallery founder Rachael Hemingway.
Hemingway opened the gallery earlier this year, as part of her recovery following a life-changing brain injury 10 years ago that forced her to rebuild her life. Before the injury she was one a busy mother of three, running her own business.
“To go from a busy life to not being able to function, to have to lie in a blackened room for a month, was horrendous. All of a sudden, I’m relying on Grandma and friends and meal trains,” she says.
Ten years on opening the gallery was about pursuing and reconnecting a lifelong creative dream. The exhibition represents resilience, recovery and creating opportunity for others.
Suitcase Stories is another step in her journey. The suitcases are more than objects, they become metaphors. “Every suitcase has travelled somewhere, carries marks of its past, and arrives with a history that isn’t immediately obvious. We rarely know what someone has carried with them through life until they tell their story.
“The suitcases become symbols of journeys through illness, grief, hope and recovery of the people of Christchurch. Almost everyone has been touched in some way by illness, cancer, disability, grief, mental health challenges or loss.”
The recipient charities tie the journeys together. Funds raised will support the work of Koru Care Christchurch, which creates life-changing experiences for children living with serious medical conditions and disabilities, and Nurse Maude, which provides specialist palliative care and support to people with terminal illnesses and their families.
The public will first catch a glimpse of the collection during the opening night of Unbound Journeys on Thursday, 27th August, when the completed suitcases will be displayed from a distance as a visual teaser.
A VIP purchase event on Friday, 28th August, will give registered buyers the opportunity to purchase one of the 50 mystery suitcases for $500, knowing only the artwork and the accompanying story—not the artist behind it. Purchased works will remain on display until the final reveal.
The exhibition will then open to the wider community on Saturday, 29th August, with visitors able to view the collection, vote in the People’s Choice Award and purchase any remaining suitcases.
The event culminates on Sunday, 30th August, with The Runway Reveal—a ticketed finale where the identities of all 50 artists will be revealed in stages through a fashion show featuring outfits created entirely from preloved clothing sourced from Nurse Maude Hospice stores across Canterbury. Young people from Koro Care Canterbury will model some of the clothes. Between each artist reveal, selected feature suitcases will be auctioned live.
The event also celebrates sustainability, with every runway look styled from second-hand fashion and accessories.
Organisers hope the event will become an annual community celebration where creativity, storytelling, sustainability and charitable giving come together. They are currently looking for support partners.
Key dates:
· Thursday 27th August: Unbound Journeys opening night and first public preview of the mystery suitcases.
· Friday 28th August: VIP purchase event.
· Saturday 29th August: Community exhibition and People’s Choice voting.
· Sunday 30th August: The Runway Reveal featuring artist reveals, live auctions and sustainable
Image: Rachael Hemingway with artist Joel Hart, who is taking part in the project.