art & about with naomi mccleary
painting scenes of her youth in Sāmoa from photographs and memories, and still life paintings of flowers plucked from her garden. Her former dealer, Barry Lett, himself the stuff of legend because of his gallery, recalls how he first met Teuane through Pat Hanly. “Away she went, without any training, this wonderful, intuitive, naive painter at the age of 71. We arranged an exhibition and she had her first show – it was quite an event.” Lett says because Teuane lacked any training, “her critical faculty for her own work was not developed so she could turn out three or four wonderful paintings and then something awful. As her dealer, we used to sort them out and select the best ones.” Stars Start Falling puts Teuane’s paintings from the ’60s and ’70s into conversation with work made by Ani O’Neill in 1999 and new commissions by Salome Tanuvasa. Ani O’Neill was born in Auckland in 1971. She graduated from Elam School of Fine Arts in 1994 and has exhibited widely in Aotearoa and internationally since. Ani’s work often references skills and techniques passed down from her Cook Islands grandmother, drawing on the unique histories and forms of knowledge which are central to art forms like tivaevae, embroidery, sewing and crochet. Salome Tanuvasa is a Sāmoan-Tongan artist based in Auckland. She completed her Masters in Fine Arts at Elam School of Fine Arts in 2014, followed by a Diploma in Secondary Teaching. Her work crosses a variety of media including moving image, drawing, photography and sculpture. A space to dream, a space to remember, a space to work, a space to make connections. Stars Start Falling brings together work that examines processes of memory, learning, and knowledge as responses to the artists’ engagement with the everyday and the extraordinary. Made in the garden, around the kitchen table, in a moment stolen in the dark of night, or as the duties of domestic life continue to tick along in the background, the artworks in this exhibition examine the cultural, social, and political forces that shape our relationship to place. This is an exhibition to sit with; to give it time and space to be absorbed; to see the connections between the artists, but also the connections to the Pacific imagery that is the background to our everyday lives in this, the largest Pacific city in the world. Stars Start Falling is presented by the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery | Len Lye Centre and curated by Hanahiva Rose. It runs until February 20, 2022.
NEW DATE Saturday 12 & Sunday 13 February 10am–4pm Visit some of Waitākere’s most celebrated artists including sculptors, painters, jewellers, illustrators, ceramic artists and photographers. With over 80 artists involved, and 40 studios from Piha to Glen Eden, Titirangi to Te Henga, it’s an inspiring weekend out and about. Take a self-guided tour at your own pace with our Open Studios Map and mobile App, or jump on an Open Studios Bus Tour. For more information visit
openstudioswaitakere.co.nz or find us on Facebook and Instagram. Proudly supported by
Merger of West Auckland Law Firms We are pleased to announce the merger of David J Brown & Associates (lawyers in Titirangi) with Thomas & Co Lawyers Limited (lawyers in New Lynn). Thomas & Co already incorporates the practice of Ray Ganda (Titirangi Law Centre) from a merger in 2017. The original principals of the three practices, Ray, David and Don, have many years of experience working in West Auckland. The David J Brown & Associates team – Paula Fletcher, Legal Executive, Jaimee KirbyBrown, Lawyer and Danielle Norrie, Lawyer - join the merged team to continue to assist all their existing clients as well as the clients of the merged practices. See the “Our Team” tab on the website for the whole team. Our focus on service for our community and clients is behind the merger. The directors and staff of the combined practices can now offer an even wider range of skills and resources. This means we can meet your every legal requirement. There is always someone available with the necessary knowledge and experience to assist with any legal matters that might arise. Give us a call, or come in and visit us. We welcome enquiries and are happy to answer any questions. Details of our office location and on-site parking can be found under the “Contact” tab on our website. We have lift access and are also handy to the bus/train interchange. This means that visiting our office is easy and convenient.
Proudly supporting our local community INCORPORATING T I T I R A N G I L AW C E N T R E D AV I D J B R O W N & ASSOCIATES
TITIRANGI LAW CENTRE
2nd Floor, 3 Totara Avenue, New Lynn (09) 827 5907 www.thomas.co.nz
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The Fringe DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022
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