Costume and Cause - A Discussion

Celebrating contemporary making by Victoria McIntosh, Shona Tawhiao and Jo Torr: inspired by clothing, they tell stories of conflict, strength, endurance, skill and ingenuity in feminine contexts.

Join us with Exhibition Curator Liz Cooper and two of the exhibiting artists Victoria McIntosh and Jo Torr for a talk about the power of costume and accessories as a media for conveying messages and telling stories.

Victoria McIntosh is pākehā and based in Dunedin. Victoria trained as a jeweller and uses these skills to intricately repurpose vintage items such as women’s underwear and handbags, making hybrid objects that are centred on the body as both site and subject; investigating women’s self-imagery, medical matters and perceptions, and family histories, both invented and real.

Jo Torr’s work skillfully evokes period costume in a range of carefully considered and resonant materials such as tapa and repurposed woollen blankets, to tell tales about colonial cultural exchange, conflict and clash. Jo is a New Zealander, and has explored and won praise for her deeply researched and expertly constructed works investigating themes, imagery and stories concerning pākehā, Māori and Pacific peoples.

Liz Cooper is a New Zealand-born independent curator specialised in contemporary craft and design, who has worked on exhibitions and showcases across UK and Ireland over the last 20 years. Her practice centres on adding value to cultural communities, supporting creative practitioners to thrive and develop, and presenting outstanding work to the widest possible audiences.

To launch this exhibition we will be hosting a panel discussion prior to the official opening. The panel discussion will be facilitated by Professor Robyn Longhurst.