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Item Jewellery as a counter-memorial offering : mapping a creative practice : submitted in partial fulfilment of Massey University, Master of Fine Arts(Massey University, 2025) Fletcher, JustineMy artistic project is an investigation of how I, as a Pākehā contemporary jeweller, understand, interpret, and purpose my work in the socio-historical context of Aotearoa New Zealand. I am guided by my relationship with place, buildings, and processes of decay, and frame my view of the land here ever mindful of the impact of colonisation. In doing so, I was taken by the challenge posed by Owen Hatherley in Artificial Islands – a collection of essays about the architectural structures that have left marks of the legacy of the British Empire in Commonwealth countries: could the colonial landscape be subjected to a process of unmaking? I therefore set out to explore how jewellery could become a tool for this unmaking, and to symbolically counter structures rooted in empire-building. I use the prefix counter, from the Latin root contra, “opposite, contrary to, against, in return” (“Etymonline” 2025), as a critical tool throughout the project. From the discovery of the term ‘counter-memorial’ midway through the first year, I have applied it as a way of imagining change in the face of the everyday reality of the impact of British colonisation in Aotearoa New Zealand. It is a responsive, facilitating term in the context of the work I make, as I contemplate the role of Pākehā in our society and the myriad decisions and actions that have manifested this identity. This approach anchors me to the rerekē strangeness of my ethnicity as I explore the implications of my belonging here in Aotearoa. The processes and techniques I employ are my method of enquiry. My artefact/objects, which I term ‘tool-ornaments’, acknowledge the histories of my ancestors and serve as counter-memorials to events that are part of my colonial heritage. The materials I am drawn to are associated with the craft practices of Anglo-Saxon culture and include farming implements and tools, kitchen ingredients and introduced plants, in order to both explore and defamiliarise their effects on the natural and built environments of Aotearoa. In crafting them I consider the ongoing impact of the materials I am drawn to. I frequently employ repetitive, cumulative processes associated with craft practices rooted in Anglo-Saxon culture that serve to reveal the subject matter by transforming familiar objects in unfamiliar ways. My work emerges from attempts to view this place through a problematising lens, speaking to my rerekē identity. Underpinning this Master of Fine Arts thesis is an interrogation of the term “decolonisation”. Naturally, this is not a subject I approach lightly: I have looked, in particular, to prominent academic Moana Jackson to provide the parameters around which I might base my work in this appropriately thorny context. This exegesis is a critical reflection of the two-and-a-half-year process of attempting to grasp slippery ideas: these six individual projects were made in parallel while contending with both my parents’ end of-life illnesses. The circumstances leading up to their passing, and the accompanying exhausting practicalities became implicated in the work. The research traverses three main themes: offering and events, memorials and ruins, and maps and territory, through a process of finding meaning in the deconstruction of materials of my culture. These are an attempt to make a new, different whole, to better understand my place here as tangata Tiriti. In turn, I offer this work to a Pākehā audience in particular: to take up the challenge of being actively engaged in the process of acknowledging the truths of our individual and collective pasts, and being sincerely occupied in restoring processes that champion the support of tino rangatiratanga in our individual and collective futures.Item Painting towards a new feminine noise : an exegesis presented in partial fulfilment of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Massey University(Massey University, 2025-11-28) Corkery, StellaThis exegesis seeks to offer insights into and critical analysis of the motivating ideologies and painting methodologies undertaken within my studio practice. The structure of the document is oriented in relation to each word of my thesis title, Painting, Towards, New, Feminine, Noise, exploring how I understand and position these terms. My creative practice doctoral study brings together a series of visual art bodies of work, predominantly studio-based painting extending into working with photographic processes, and found objects (historical records). The visual research is underpinned and in conversation with a consideration of how Lauren Fournier’s articulation of Autotheory¹ intersects with my positionality as an artist. While at the same time the research reflects on trajectories of practice and political thought prior to and during this doctoral study, (encompassing the hybrid practices of painting and Noise Music) in order to develop a deeper understanding of and language for painting towards a new feminine noise. Through artistic experimentation I explore how my painting practice operates in response to the new conditions of noise I propose in order to develop a deeper understanding of, and language for, painting towards a new feminine noise. This research considers the traditional meaning or intention of Noise Music as a politicised musical genre where loudness and annoyance are recognised as a protest against the status quo, during which I also observed and considered the wider patriarchal histories of Western art from a critical position. In order to explore impacts on new meanings in sonic thought, my painting practice seeks to imagine and test ways in which the work can paint towards a new feminine noise. One such conceptualisation can be understood through artist Ellen Moffat’s words: “…the capacity of small sounds to sound the differences of others…”² ¹ Lauren Fournier, Autotheory as Feminist Practice in Art, Writing and, Criticism (London, The MIT Press, 2021). ² Ellen N Moffat, “Strings of Sound and Sense: Towards a Feminine Sonic” (Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 8201, 2021), ii.Item The unspoken conversation : an exegesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts at Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand(Massey University, 2024) Halim, InnoPrayer is a common practice for devotional purposes, and each person could find their own individual reason to do it including expressing their wishes, asking for blessing, and sharing their hopes and fears. As a practice that requires faith, because it is invisible and difficult to explain logically, it is understandable that this practice is often neglected. I was raised in a Catholic family and my parents taught me about the practice of prayer since I can remember. Guided by my parents, I prayed with them every night before bed. As I grew older and became more mature, I found my own reason for continuing this practice. Because I believe this practice has shaped my personality in a positive way and make my life better, I would like to share my perspectives on prayer through this master’s research as I think that this subject is still relevant in modern society. Based on my previous experience as a sculptor and reflecting on my personal faith and prayer, I intend to visualize the meaning of prayer for me. I have explored several approaches to making, beginning with detailed figurative works and experimenting with video works, until I ended up with the simpler visual expression for the final installation. Aluminium foil and charcoal were explored and selected as the primary materials for the final artworks because of their appearance and the metaphorical and symbolic meanings associated with each material.Item Te wā o naianei : an exhibition report presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters in Māori Visual Arts, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand(Massey University, 2024) Munn, JustineThe exhibition report begins with a brief historical focus upon the representation of Māori in paintings by late 18th-century european artists. It examines two artists that utilised classical techniques in their portrayals of tūpuna Māori, whilst one artist paints a dramatic image in romanticism. In addition, I include my own connection to a tupuna through classical portraiture. The literature review highlights contemporary wāhine Māori painters who have implemented painting techniques in portraiture and figurative art within the paradigm of customary Māori visual storytelling, moving beyond colonial documentation. These modern works engage with themes such as kōrero, pūrakau, atua Māori, Rangatahi and the impact of the urban shift moving from their ancestral tūrangawaewae, and whānaungātanga. In further their art contextualises the social and political issues of Māori history and contemporary challenges from colonisation in Aotearoa. The report then leads into the discussion of the methodology for the main body of work, concentrating on how whānaungātanga and whānau are expressed through portraiture and figurative imagery. My works pay tribute to my parents, impacted by the rural migration for work and training, whilst maintaining their turangawaewae. Furthermore, the exhibition aligns with the kaupapa Māori research principles and the strategic commitment to upholding the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, of Nga Toi Māori, Taonga Gallery and Studios gallery, Okorere.Item Embodying pain : an exegesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the postgraduate degree of Master of Fine Arts at Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand(Massey University, 2024) Martin, SomnArt provides a unique ability to attempt to communicate the experience of pain to others. I am compelled to study pain in order to understand myself, others, and the world at large. I am compelled to create art on the subject of pain to share this understanding with others. My art practice has several elements. I create figural sculptures of bodies in pain made out of clay stoneware and glaze or treat them with iron oxide. These figures are then arranged in environments with lightly rusted steel box frame structures, cotton cord, and wood. Sometimes the sculptural assemblages cast large elongated shadows made from sumi ink or charcoal.Item You never know which side you'll fall when you're sitting on the fence : an exegesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts at Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand(Massey University, 2024) Stephens, Samantha KarinThis research examines the art of protest posters and what it means to engage in a public space as an artist. Primarily through text and printmaking, it explores what could start a dialogue around protest and current events in Aotearoa and globally. Graphic design, traditional, modern printmaking techniques such as urban street art, and both traditional and modern printmaking techniques have shaped this exegesis and creative body of work. The artists key to my practice are varied in media and influence; such as musicians Michael Franti, activists and multimedia artists The Guerrilla Girls, designers of The Wellington Media Collective and Barbara Kruger. This research project is concerned with discussion around issues facing Aotearoa and its current government’s policy and decision-making. Protest and protest art is core to how we discuss, react to, and unpack public issues. I am influenced by the process of making, creative practice research, design-art and modern protest material. The crux of this practice is making protest art publicly accessible to anyone.Item In search of a room : exegesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts at Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand(Massey University, 2024) Feng, YumengThis exegesis explores the significance of women asserting their own space through a series of mixed-media collages and textile embroidery works. Inspired by Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own, my artistic creations delve into the interactions between female identity, personal space, and creative expression, while responding to the themes of freedom and personal growth within the context of Chinese culture. The series of creative works is rooted in my personal experiences and embodies a longing for an independent space akin to Woolf's metaphorical and literal room. My creative practice involves stitching together 100 fabric blocks, each measuring 12cm x12cm, depicting female figures without facial features. This abstract representation embraces the diversity of women's experiences, allowing more people, especially women, to see themselves in the work, thereby fostering broader recognition and reflection. This project critically examines the complexities of feminism within the Chinese cultural context, where traditional values often clash with contemporary notions of female independence. Although Chinese women possess rights and opportunities, they frequently encounter societal expectations that restrict their roles and identities. Using colors and various fabrics, these works express the universal desire of women for autonomy and a space truly their own, free from external patriarchal constraints.Item At dusk nothing is hidden : an exegesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts at Massey University, Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Aotearoa(Massey University, 2024) Collier, PaulaMy practice as an artist is at the intersection between sculpture, installation and photography. Here, I explore the interdependence of light and dark through the use of ephemeral materials while responding artistically to the spaces they occupy. I explore themes of transience, latency and potential, specifically how the perception of light and space relates to notions of visibility, darkness and the unknown.Item Profane baroque and a woman's experience : an exegesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the postgraduate degree of Master of Fine Arts at Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand(Massey University, 2024) Lees, Sacha“Profane Baroque and a Woman’s Experience” is a practice-based MFA research project that reflects my experience as a woman navigating a veneer of liberation. This exegesis address es enduring gender inequities of women and references early professional experiences as a burgeoning artist. From this formative experience, issues of authorship and hierarchy of voices are foregrounded as subject matter in my canvases. As part of my feminist practice, I fold in auto theory as work emerges from my body as an embodied but highly fractured feminine corporal self. I developed my own feminist identity and voice aided by subjectivities from feminist contemporary painters such as Jenny Saville and Jacqueline Fahey. To subvert value hierarchies, I explore contrasting high and low art by desecrating sacred materials with profane subjects and, as such, critically engage with a legacy of ‘feminine aesthetics’ in art, in which women and feminine bodies are positioned as objects for consumption rather than active subjects. Sacred and profane themes are innate in seventeenth-century Baroque, and I draw further on the movements’ inherencies by placing my dynamic body as the heroine at the centre of the action as it wrestles amongst excessively liberated drapery and contemporary single-use profane objects. I employ varied invented, contemporary and ancient painting techniques, methods and materials to reclaim my identity through materials. These painterly explorations incorporate feminist theories about how bodies and identities are shaped by social forces by Elizabeth Grosz and Simone de Beauvoir and the marginalisation of women in contemporary New Zealand work organisations by Nilima Chowdhury. They also include ideas about waste from prevalent consumer ism by Ian Sinclair and Walter Benjamin’s writings on Baroque and his concept of history.Item Contemporary jewellery as affective experience : resisting biopolitics : an exegesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Fine Arts at Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand(Massey University, 2024-11-05) Zellmer, JohannaThrough this creative, practice-led research I consider the affective aesthetic experience of contemporary jewellery as an interactive event of resistance. ‘Contemporary jewellery’ is a field of visual art practice distinct from commercial, fashion and costume jewellery. Its objects relate the body to the world through affective events, through which they may be considered as a mode of political intervention. As a jeweller, I am working in the space between craft and bioart, where materials are in a continuous visceral process of transformation. My project focusses on the making of collars and chokers out of used Illumina flow cells, waste products of the data collection technology known as DNA sequencing. Encircling and adorning a neck with these materials can create a significant affective experience. The human neck is a site of vulnerability and affect, where acts of power are displayed and experienced. Both jewellery and genomics are instruments of identity construction: the former a technology of the self and the latter a study of human bodies through scientific observation. Contemporary scholars such as Pravu Mazumdar, Elizabeth Povinelli, Stefan Muecke, and Thomas Lemke have undertaken extended research on such biopolitical conditioning. As an outcome of my craft training, my research inquiry is led by a creative, object-based practice. I have adopted the methodological framework known as speculative experimentation. This approach aligns with jewellery’s affective aesthetics through ‘critical hesitation, reflective questioning and thinking with unthinkable futures’. The experience of the resulting work can be destabilising and in turn creates hesitation, tension, and resistance. Artists and theorists Lauren Kalman, Tiffany Parbs, Agnieszka Wołodźko, and Renée Hoogland draw on these affective qualities of contemporary art and adornment. Informed by these key sources, this research project considers the agency of collars and chokers made from DNA sequencing tools as resistive ‘noise’ or irritants undermining the biopolitical standardisation of life and self. By fastening adornments firmly around the bare skin of a human neck, I am seeking to channel the haptic experience of these affective material objects into modes of resistance.