editorial
arial , so confusing...
the brat-ification of helvetica’s ugly twin
Like every other design student, I too was brainwashed to believe Arial is a typeface for Canva users who don’t know Helvetica is obviously the superior option. I had to make a whole zine in my first-year typography class about how Arial is ‘Helvetica’s ugly twin’.
When singer Charli XCX released the album art for Brat earlier this year, I was honestly caught off guard by the huge, lowercase, pixelated, stretched, slightly off-centered typography. But I immediately recognised Arial in all her controversial glory.
At first, I truly thought it was the ugliest album art I’d seen all year... until I realised that was the whole point.
When Brat dropped, Charli made an Instagram post describing Brat as “my flaws, my fuck ups, my ego all rolled into one”. Brat is the antithesis of clean, perfect, professional, and put together. She’s messy, and she knows it.
So, if we’re talking about typefaces, there’s nothing more Brat than Arial.
The Brat album art was created by designer Brent David Freaney. In an interview with New York Times about the album art, he says, “It needed to feel like something that wasn’t precious. There’s all these Swiss typefaces, and as a designer, I’m always like, how do you beat Helvetica?”
Despite the fact it's really not that ugly, it’s seen as less than, cheap, and not worthy of anything more than body text in a magazine (not in this one though, we <3 Degular).
Charli says a Brat is someone who “says dumb things sometimes”, and if Arial was a person you'd defintely catch her talking shit and snorting something in the club bathroom. She is the party girl of Swiss grotesk typefaces.
I won’t be the first or last to say that this Brat-ification of Arial has completely changed my perspective. The Brat green and Arial combo is quickly becoming one of the most enduring visuals icons of our time. Even US presidential candidate Kamala Harris is using it to pull votes in the election (and from the looks of it, it’s working).
So really, Helvetica and Arial should just work it out on the remix. Much like Charli and Lorde, the girlies might have the same hair, and a lot in common, but their slightly differing stroke endings is what makes them both iconic creations that should not be underestimated.
xoxo, Luka.
NEW MĀORI STUDENT PRESIDENT APPOINTED UNDER DARK CLOUD
WORDS BY SAMMY CARTER A SHE/HER
Ripeka Paapu has been appointed as the new Māori president of Massey Students' Association, after previous president Cameron Taylor resigned followed by allegations of toxic culture.
Last Monday, Massive released news that Te Tira Ahu Pae is in turmoil. Following Pasifika co-president Wesley Peters being kicked off the board after a motion by general president Hennessey Wilson, student reps made allegations of toxic behaviour.
The university has raised serious concerns about the governance of Te Tira Ahu Pae over the past few weeks.
Paapu told Massive, “I am deeply concerned by the prolonged delays in addressing the concerns raised by both Pasifika and Māori student representatives.”
Massive is yet to receive a statement from Te Tira Ahu Pae regarding the state of the association.
“We must ensure a timely investigation of these claims and seek prompt resolutions for all issues mentioned.”
At the end of 2022, all ten of the student associations at Massey amalgamated to make Te Tira Ahu Pae.
Paapu, having been part of the inaugural year of amalgamation, had a positive experience and felt supported.
However, she said, “It is disheartening to learn that this year, our Māori and Pasifika cohort representatives have felt unwelcome and unsafe.”
“It is our collective responsibility to create an environment where students and representatives feel secure and heard.”
“I urge the students to always speak up and let their voices be heard. With all that has come to light, hopefully The Board will take these allegations seriously.”
A Massey University spokesperson said the university had raised serious concerns about the governance of Te Tira Ahu Pae over the past few weeks.
The spokesperson said it had been engaging with both student representatives and the board on ways to help address the concerns that have been raised.
“We remain committed to fostering and supporting independent student representation and student voice and while we acknowledge the independence of Te Tira Ahu Pae, we are also mindful of our obligation to ensure funding for student voice and that student governed student services deliver key outcomes for the wider student body.”
“We are currently in discussion with the board and as students are the key stakeholder of the association, we will be updating them as our discussions’ progress.”
It asked students to email it at studentvoice@massey.ac.nz with their thoughts and concerns.
VET STUDENTS BRING THE KENERGY AT ANNUAL MR VET EVENT
WORDS BY ELIZABETH MOISSON A SHE/HER
Students dressed up as cowboy Ken dolls, performing lap dances, catwalks, stripping, poetry and more in front of judges (aka vet school lecturers) at the Mr Vet event last month.
With around 310 attendees, Massey University Vet Student Association (MUVSA) hosted the event on August 23rd.
Mr Vet is an annual tradition to celebrate the boys in Vet school as they are a minority.
Competiton winner Nicholas Morrison, fourth year Vet student, was awarded with a crown and sash.
“I wrote a poem about the staff and the lecturers of the Massey Vet School, I really tried to push the limits of what I can get away with saying.”
“This is something you just get stuck into, and the more you commit the more you get out of it. Go hard, go embarrass yourself.”
A MUVSA spokesperson said any profit goes towards ‘Halfway Day’, a trip to Taupō after third year to celebrate being halfway through their long and tiring degrees.
The third-year Vet class of around 150 students go skydiving, white water rafting and take a boat cruise on Lake Taupō at sunset.
To save up more funding for ‘Halfway Day’, MUVSA is currently working on the annual Barely There naked calendar.
The spokesperson said Mr Vet isn’t usually themed, but last year they had a wild west theme, “So, we wanted a theme this year and decided to go with the inspiration of Kenergy or the mojo dojo casa house and to have each boy a different type of ken.”
Vet lecturers Jimena Yapura, Stuart Bruere, Laryssa Howe and Alvaro Martinez were the judges.
It is a tradition to have two boys from each class cohort participate as contestants.
But this year, they switched it up with one boy from fifth year, three from fourth year, and two from the other classes.
Micah Geiringer, first year Vet student went along. He said, “VetMed is a female dominated industry. My class has 20 men and 150 women so being able to spend an evening having a laugh about it seemed enticing!”
“Who doesn’t like making farm boys do a beauty pageant?”
He watched his classmates strip and give lap dances, and was shocked at a contestant losing $400 at blackjack.
Geiringer enjoyed himself and would recommend that all Vet students go at least once.
MASSIVE MURAL FINISHED IN WELLINGTON
Outside the Massive office by the Wellington Co-Lab, you’ll find a bright yellow wall filled with characters from the magazine Fergus the Ram, the Sexcapades girl, even Pocket the campus cat.
Other characters were added in, including Massive’s very own editor Sammy Carter, designer Luka Maresca, and Te Ao Māori illustrator Keelin Bell.
Maresca and Bell worked on the mural design and painting together.
Maresca’s goal was to “encapsulate what Massive is in one piece, which was really difficult”.
“We went through every single issue of the magazine so far, and picked characters that we thought were iconic and put them together into a party scene.”
The design was inspired by the first cover of 2024 for the ‘Fresh’ themed issue.
“We always hear people walk past and talk about who they are in the mural, which not only makes me feel like we captured Massive, but also made all students feel represented.”
This semester is Bell’s last of his degree, so taking on a big art project felt “crazy”.
“It was cool just painting in one spot and seeing friends walk past that I hadn't seen in a while, and having little chats and brief catch ups, and also students complimenting or admiring the work as they walked past.”
The border design of the mural, created by Bell, pays homage to the late John Bevan Ford, a former Massey lecturer who taught Māori Visual Arts.
Bell had fun working with Maresca, “Over the course of painting, we both were kind of looking over each other's shoulder just to make sure the proportions were right.”
Previously, the wall had the old student association, MAWSA, logo across it with a bright blue background. But since the amalgamation of student associations to create Te Tira Ahu Pae, the wall needed a new life.
ANNUAL CHICKEN WING CHALLENGE BRINGS THE HEAT
WORDS BY YESENIA PINEDAA SHE/THEY
In honour of the golden chicken statue on the Auckland campus, hall residents took part in the spicy chicken wing challenge for the ninth year.
The sculpture was installed to pay homage to Albany’s past as a chicken farming area many years ago, Kelly Manning, national manager accommodation services told Massive
Manning said, “With this historical context in mind, the idea naturally evolved into a chicken-eating challenge, making it a fun and relevant tradition that ties into the local heritage.”
Hall residents are challenged to eat the spiciest chicken tenderloins in the fastest amount of time.
The annual chicken wing challenge began in 2015 when Massey Halls Auckland opened.
Manning said all participants are required to sign a disclosure form before taking part, which was
developed by the legal team to ensure the event is conducted responsibly.
The winner gets a trophy, points for their hall in the battle of the halls, and their name on the chicken wing challenge board at Te Rito Hall.
She said prep for the event starts three months in advance, working on the hot sauce recipe.
The event was inspired by events at the Wellington and Manawatū halls.
Years ago, Massey Halls Manawatū had their well-known Gumboot Challenge, while Massey Halls Wellington had their annual tradition of jumping off the pier in pjs.
thePaintingWomen Who Made Me
When I was little, and my Mum still tucked me into bed, I used to beg her to tell me stories of the ‘olden days’. Mum, a talented writer with a penchant for making any story feel magical, would laugh at the phrase, and tell me tales of the women who came before me.
Mum spun stories about my Great-Great Granny Vickers, who swore off school and would sneak out the window during classes. Instead of learning Maths or English, Granny Vickers spent her youth riding her horse through the fields of Cambridge, England.
With her words, Mum painted the acres of garden that my fiercely political Great-Grandma Rhoda made flourish despite her pragmatic, nononsense nature. Groves of maple and chestnut trees which would colour the air green when the sun shone through. Flowerbeds colouring the ground with red tulips, white roses, and blue irises Rhoda’s favourite flower.
That passion for gardening and nature was passed down to my Grandmother Janey, who would take me fairy hunting in her garden.
It is my Great-Gran Mim who I used to beg for stories of the most. Mum would tell me about how she met my Great-Grandfather Jack which I thought was the most romantic and devastating story I’d ever heard. She met Jack during a summer spent with her cousins in New Zealand. On her return to England, Jack followed her back by signing up for the Airforce. They were married only a few months before he died in a plane crash during World War II.
Gran Mim was left pregnant with my Grandad. During the war, she drove an ambulance for injured soldiers while singlehandedly raising a child. After the war, Mim moved back to New Zealand, remarried, and raised three children.
After Mum turned the lights off, and the only light in my room was the glow-in-the-dark stars shining from the ceiling, I would pretend to talk to these women. I told them about my day, whispered secrets into the air, and asked them questions about their lives. I lay there, desperately wishing they’d answer back from the darkness.
I was in Year 13 when I came across Gran Mim’s diary hidden away in a dust-covered box. I drew a finger through the dust coating the cracked brown cover, and through the yellowing pages housing Mim’s dancing handwriting.
It had been years since I’d begged my mum for the stories. I’d taken down the glow-in-the-dark stars, and I didn’t talk to anyone in the dark anymore.
Stuck in my final year of NCEA and it’s predicted toll on my mental health, I’d never felt more uninspired. Yet, it was Mim’s beautiful scrawl that flicked a light on.
It felt like she was talking to me.
I was seeing bits and pieces of my female ancestors everywhere. They were in their intricately painted China plates which now hang on Janey’s wall. In the irises that grow in Mum’s garden. Looking over the old collection of Jane Austen books resting on my shelf. They joined in at the family dinners around Rhoda’s old kitchen table. It was perhaps one of the loneliest times of my life, but as I learnt more about them, the objects they owned, and the lives they led, I felt some sort of companionship. To my art teacher’s delight, I began to explore this in my paintings.
My early paintings were simple, domestic scenes of table settings and tea sets. They felt golden, innocent, and blissful and for a while, I felt that way too.
But my mental health ebbed and flowed.
It makes me want to smash a thousand plates.
As I uncovered more of Gran Mim’s story, her strength in the face of pain, I felt like she was pushing me to do the same. Slowly, life felt golden again. This is when I introduced a poignant symbol in my art Kintsugi. This is a Japanese method of repairing broken pottery using lacquer mixed with gold. The technique highlights the beauty in imperfection and the strength in healing. Just as broken plates can be mended into something more beautiful, so too can our hearts.
Painting and storytelling has always come hand in hand for me. Every painting I do needs to have meaning, or it’s meaningless. So, little by little, I collected their stories, their letters, their favourite flowers, the plates they’ve handed down through generations, and I painted them back to life.
The first painting I did was of Rhoda’s blue onion-patterned plates set on a table ready for dinner. When Mum first saw it, she thought it was a photograph.
“My god, Jess!” she exclaimed, “you’ve just captured my childhood in a nutshell!”
The next painting I did was of a tea set that Granny Vickers made while she was in finishing school in Austria. This painting made my Great-Aunt Ginny burst into tears.
And with it came grief, challenges, and heartbreak.
So, naturally I smashed the plates (not in real life, Mum would kill me).
Plates and teapots were falling from the sky and shattering into pieces. The lily of the valley flowers that were in Mim’s wedding bouquet wilted amongst a graveyard of broken China. The purple wisteria from Janey’s porch hung from the top of paintings, representing a lost love. The moth orchids from Rhoda’s flower beds symbolised death.
My first painting of smashed plates was a visual of one of Gran Mim’s diary entries after losing Jack to the War. Mim wrote, “Jack has been killed, and my heart aches and aches but refuses to break.”
No matter how many times I read that sentence, it still makes me cry.
The flowers which grew in these paintings were the hopeful light of the calendula found in Grandmother Janey’s Garden. The petunia and its symbol of healing found in Mum’s flowerbeds. And the patient bonsai tree which sits in my bedroom next to a photo of Gran Mim.
The stories of my Great-Great Grandmothers, Great Grandmothers, Grandmothers, and Mum are woven into my DNA. The silent strength, grit, and determination that survived through the hardest of times is shown in my paintings. My art stands as visual echoes of my ancestors’ lives, the objects and hearts they touched, the plates they passed around the table to family, and the imprint they’ve left behind on me.
To most people, I describe my paintings as realism intertwining with magic. With its trees growing out of books, bees flying around smashed teapots, and gold lacquer rivers flowing throughout. But to me, these paintings are what I longed for as a child, lying in bed beneath the soft glow of my stars, wishing for a reply from the women who made me.
Keelin Bell Keelin Bell
A WORD WITH MASSIVE 'S TE AO MĀORI ILLUSTRATOR
AAlmost 20 minutes after the interview was meant to start, Massive’s beloved Te Ao Māori illustrator, Keelin Bell, came tumbling out of the elevator to join me.
Breathless and juggling a tripod, a bag of camera equipment and another bag overflowing with blankets, Keelin was incredibly apologetic for the holdup. It was hard to stay mad at him, especially since I know just how jam-packed his schedule is (and he bought me a Snickers bar to make up for it, which helped a little bit).
Keelin is caught in the peak of crunch time for most Creative Arts students, whilst also maintaining the illustrative work he completes for Massive each week, and dedicating at least an hour each day to his personal art projects. Add on everything else humans have to do in order to stay alive, and the man stays booked and busy. The workload he carries is confirmed when he drops “I got 4 shoots done today, 4 different locations” as he slumps in the chair opposite me. So, I can’t help but apologise to the man sitting before me (stretching in his brand new, fresh as fuck Massive merch hoodie) for taking up time in his full to the brim schedule. But he shrugs me off, saying, “Nah, we planned this way ahead of time, and I’m good at going on tangents.”
And tangent he did.
Despite holding and being confident in the title of ‘illustrator’, Keelin majors in Photography, which was an entirely new medium to him initially. Out of the three art forms offered at his high school, Photography was the one Keelin had the least experience with.
It was one of his teachers who encouraged him to pursue photography to a higher degree, to which Keelin initially said, “But I'm an illustrator”.
Keelin’s proficiency in illustration has led to some conflict over the course of his learning experience as “coming from an illustrative background, it’s kind of tough to translate visions into a medium that’s built in the real world”. But looking at where Photography has taken him to and the opportunities it offers, Keelin firmly nods that “overall, it was a good thing”.
At this point in our conversation, I interrupt with the sudden remembrance of Keelin’s exhibition that he and his friends have been working towards. The exhibition, Takarangi, is now open to the public until October 1st.
Keelin clarifies that Takarangi will be his second exhibition this year and is one that he and his friends have been hoping to do together for a few years.
“We’re all urban Māori, so it’s good we all have the chance to reconnect with our Māoritanga. Our respective mediums allow us this chance, and give us the opportunity to reconnect with our whakapapa as well.”
By this point, I’ve long since finished my half of the Snickers bar (I felt bad and split it in two to share with Keelin). I ask Keelin how it feels to be the first offical Te Ao Māori illustrator not just for Massive, but for any student-led magazine. He turns to me, solemn and serious, and takes a breath.
“It is an honour.”
Then he lets out a quick little laugh and gives me his actual answer.
“Nah but seriously, Massive is built from the ground up, and has been building to this position for a while now. Past Māori illustrators, like Sara Moana, and our previous Te Ao Māori editor Cameron pushed for it and paved the way.”
While drawing for Massive, Keelin has churned out banger after banger. I personally feel that his illustrations are easily the best part of my articles. Keelin feels that the first week’s centrefold is his favourite piece he’s completed for Massive. This was an illustration of freshers out in town for O-Week, standing outside Night ‘n Day. To Keelin, that “first issue was when ideas really started flowing because it was all so fresh and new”. It also gave him a chance to revisit his first-year memories. Thinking back on that centrefold, Keelin sat back before letting out a pleased "man, I was on the gas that week.”
But outside of his work for university and Massive, what would Keelin call his pride and joy? “The children’s book I illustrated in first year. Haven’t topped that one yet.”
The book is called Nuku’s Toki, and it’s about collecting toki, or argillite, at the top of the South Island. Nuku’s Toki is especially close to Keelin’s heart, “Coming to uni, my big dream was to illustrate some kind of book. But then I did it in my first year, so I had to pick a new dream.” Keelin is currently revisiting the children’s book, doing a complete redraw for a new author.
This nice full circle moment feels like a good place to wrap up our conversation, and before we head in our separate directions, I ask Keelin what he’s got going on tomorrow. As I could’ve guessed, the list of activities he rattles off seems long and exhaustive and as though they’ll never end, at least to my ears. But while I grimace and wince at his schedule, Keelin seems entirely unfazed. He just gathers his equipment and heads out to the next thing planned, undoubtedly forging a path for future Māori illustrators to follow as he does so.
ChemistryCreativitymeets in
Grace Tromop Van Dalen’s artistry doesn’t start with a blank canvas it begins with the flicker of a UV lamp, the swirl of nail polish, and a steady hand poised over a tiny nail.
With a passion for creativity and knowledge of nail art science, the Massey University student turned a hobby into a thriving business called Armoured Studio.
From sculpting miniature tiger face nailsets, to mastering the intricacies of nail anatomy, Grace’s appointments intertwine science and self-expression.
With a Bachelor of Arts in Media Studies, Anthropology, and Gender and Sexuality under their belt, Grace is now pursuing a Diploma of Screen Arts.
Grace started practicing nail art around half a year ago after watching others do their own nails. “I saw people doing their own stuff and thought, I can do that.”
Yet, Grace’s business highlights a growing awareness in the beauty industry the intertwining of art, science, and self-care.
Grace explains working with nails involves far more than just applying polish. “You’re working with a lot of chemicals.” From the health risks that come with UV lamps to acrylics, gels, and acetone fumes, understanding the potential health risks is critical to keep clients and artists safe.
Coming from a family of doctors, Grace’s interest in the technical aspects of nail care makes sense. They taught themselves about everything from UV curing to proper disinfection techniques using Barbicide.
“The first nail enhancement was made by a dentist using dental acrylic to fix a broken nail.”
Grace’s knowledge of anatomy is equally impressive. “There’s a lot going on in just the nail,” they say, explaining the importance of protecting the delicate nail matrix, cuticle, and hyponychium. Each part of the nail plays a vital role in its health, and knowing this helps Grace create designs that are both beautiful and safe.
Self-care is also a priority for Grace. The physical strain of the job, particularly on their hands and back, makes pacing essential.
“If I end up doing nails every day, my hand will cramp up.” This is why they limit themselves to six clients a week, leaving room for passion instead of burnout.
Grace also educates clients about their own nail health. “People say you don’t need a break from doing nails, and you don’t. It’s dependent on your nail health, your diet, and lots of things like that.”
This thoughtful approach creates a special bond with their clients, many of whom have become friends. “My birthday party’s coming up, and five of my clients are coming. It’s really special.”
“I started this business at a pretty low point in my life, and it has been such a saviour.” What began as a personal project has blossomed into something far greater.
As their nail business continues to grow, balancing it with university, their social life, and growing work opportunities, one thing remains clear: Grace’s unique blend of creativity, scientific precision, and commitment to self-care makes them an artist in every sense of the word.
BEADED BALANCING LACE, LUST AND LURIDNESS THROUGH CANVAS
In the recent media landscape, being demure, dainty and perfectly skeletal is in, and being a functioning flesh and blood woman is out.
But the expectation for women’s bodies to be purely presentational is ripped to shreds through the grotesque art movement, which thrusts on display the wonderous horror of femininity.
From Doreen Garner’s sculpture of dissected human carcasses to Kiki Smith’s sculpture of a women urinating artists can deconstruct and challenge conventional standards of beauty in art, revealing a complex interplay between taboo, confusion and disgust. The movement is navigated by female artists as a ‘fuck you’ to patriarchal standards in art, portraying the shattered and disjointed feelings of womanhood. From Yoko Ono’s massacred remains of her black dress in Cut Piece and Tracy Emin’s period-soaked sheets in her sculpture
My Bed, disgusting art that men usually hate is my favorite art genre.
To broaden my understanding of the contemporary grotesque art movement, I sat down with Fine Arts students Emily Mahoney and Lily Hodgson-Bell to discuss their exploration within the genre.
Lily’s mirrored pieces Wink, runner-up of Massive’s Masterpiece Competition, are two acrylic paintings that explore themes of sexiness, humour and reclamation. The mirrored female torsos are seductive with a hint of crudeness and whimsy. Almost identical, the two paintings are differentiated by a cheeky beaded eye.
After a longer look, I realised it was actually winking at me.
Lily explains to me, “The eyes are about the power dynamics between painter, viewer, and the male gaze. Giving body parts eyes is giving them power and agency over the viewer. The piece is inviting you to look at it whilst being playful and flirty, but also, it's looking back at you on equal playing fields.”
&Bruised
Lily says that her artistic exploration of femininity derives from her tumultuous relationship with growing up tomboyish. “It's sort of reconciling all the non-feminine parts of myself and showing that they can be all that and at the same time and have equal value.”
When it comes to Emily, she is a mostly sculpture-focused artist concentrating her works on the comfortability in femininity.
She tells me, “A big part of my work is making people uncomfortable but in a purposeful way and making them question why they are uncomfortable.”
Emily recently showcased her work in a third-year exhibition, The Delicate and Visceral, in which she showcased beautiful creations dripping in lace and flesh.
Emily's work, Self Portrait, was used for the cover this week It is a painted canvas overlaid with stretched nylon stockings. The blue and pink veins popping out under the nylon connect the feminine and non-feminine, blending as one to create her own identity.
Emily’s work evokes unease and discomfort, yet the veins and lace remind me of the hidden stretches and intricacies in my own body that I don’t allow others to see.
Though differing in style, Emily and Lily create art that represents femininity in both a gross and delicate way.
Lily says, “Sometimes I feel like a weird little creature, and I want to portray that in my art. Like I have sharp teeth and sharp nails and am consuming a corpse.”
“We are taught the blood and the guts, and the aggression is not what we should feel.”
Emily poses the question: Why are naked female bodies shown in a non-sexual not considered feminine?
Beneath the lace and ribbons there is beauty in the ‘gross’. Emily says, “Blood, anger and prettiness all come together in the same person at the same time.”
When I noticed that both artists work with beading and physical elements over acrylic paint on canvas, I queried why beads and thread are layered over the paint.
Lily explains, “Thread and beads can occupy, like myself, a both delicate and gutsy sort of realm. Thread can either be controlled and pretty or it can be coming out of the canvas like hair and arteries.”
She adds that the art of textiles, once an honored profession for its often tedious and delicate skill, has lost value in recent times. Lily says, “It's been progressively devalued and labeled a hobby that old ladies do, so it's not art. I’m trying to bring the historically feminine practice into my art and value it as the same as painting.”
Emily adds, “There was a point in time where young girls wouldn't learn Math and Science, they would learn embroidery and that was highly regarded.”
Seeing their multi-dimensional view on womanhood, I asked about their personal connection between their work and their own femininity.
"BLOOD, ANGER & prettiness ALL COME TOGETHER IN THE SAME PERSON AT THE SAME TIME.
"Lily says that her art is a reclamation, that everything can be feminine not just the ‘beautiful’ cherry-picked aspects of female identity.
“The stereotypical view of what a woman is like being pretty, dainty, lacy and soft, those aren't bad. It's just a problem when it's presented as the only option when so many other things come up in everyone naturally.”
We all laugh as Lily brings up a post she saw on Tumblr that inspired her feelings towards internalised misogyny. “I saw this Tumblr post that said the reason girls have an ‘I’m not like other girls’ phase is because we are taught that girls are shallow and vapid with no thoughts and feelings. So, we think we are different because we have independent thoughts and multitudes, but we are not taught that every other woman also has that”.
Emily and Lily walk out of the interview in separate directions with separate art and experiences, but a shared desire to represent their own femininity beyond the realm of comfortability and the male gaze.
winners
1st
CLAIR BROWN
SITTING ON A GOLDMINE 6INX9IN, ACRYLIC AND PAINT PEN ON CANVAS.
Kia ora, my name is Clair Brown and I’m a second-year Fine Arts student at Massey. I’ve been painting since high school when I fell in love with conveying emotion through my pieces. I normally gravitate towards painting figures and work abstractly with lots of colour.
Sitting on a goldmine is inspired by feeling like a piece of meat on dating apps. I know I have amazing tits but I am more than my body. My grandma used to say, "Women have a goldmine between their legs". There was always a yuck, transactional undertone to it. Even if you have
nothing to your name, you can still use your body to generate funds as there will always be a demand. Body parts are not inherently sexual, they are flesh and bones with agendas placed on them.
2nd
LILY HODGSON-BELL WINK
Wink is a playful, humorous, and perhaps confrontational expression of sexuality.
Two vag-eye-nas, one closed and one open, when viewed together form a wink, flirting with the viewer. Although they invite you in to look, they are not objects performing for the audience's gaze. They stare back at you, holding their own power and authority through the personification of the eyes.
The power exchange is equal, they are vulnerable but totally in control.
As an artist, I use painting,
embroidery, glass beads, lace and other textiles as a way to express the infinite different ways femininity manifests in myself. The aggressive, bestial, grotesque, erotic, sensual, soft, and shiny are all equally feminine and equal parts of my identity. My practice demands space and attention be paid to not only my full unbridled strangeness, but also to the historically undervalued and feminine practices of needlepoint.
3rd
STEVEE RENEE
HAVE YOU SEEN THIS?
Kia ora, I am Stevee-Renee and I am a third year BFA student. My work, Have you seen this? explores the intersection between online and reality, directly taking from the images, text, and symbols I shared on social media during 2018 to 2020. This series features four distorted self-portraits, two captions, and three symbols, laid out in the style of an instagram feed. This project is an attempt to blur the lines between the digital and physical worlds, capturing the essence of how I curate and present myself online and in reality.
4th
CHRIS WHITE
THIS HALLOW'D HOUSE
THIS HALLOW'D HOUSE is made from a canvas I acquired second hand and painted over with a starter kit of acrylic paints I found in the trash. I used a hot glue gun to apply found items such as a safety pin, a 20 cent coin, Chris Hipkins smile, black and white flamingos, a lump of wax from a candle I got for my birthday, a piece of a brake light, monarch butterfly stamps, and a three of clubs card from a miniature deck of cards.
I wanted to capture how it feels being at a flat party but only like four people showed up.
muse artist muse
artist are you an or a ... are you an or a or both? or both? ...
1. HAVE YOU EVER SERENADED SOMEONE WITH A GUITAR?
A) It wasn’t a guitar, that’s a bit basic — but yes.
B) I was the one being serenaded, obviously <3
C) Yes, but I’ve also been serenaded. Got to cover my bases.
2. WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF AS A TORTURED ARTIST?
A) Unironically, yes. And I’m not going to apologise for it.
B) No, but I definitely know people who would.
C) If I ever say this unsarcastically, someone please punch me.
3. HOW OFTEN DO YOU CHANGE HOBBIES?
A) Uh. At the drop of a hat? My bank account is crying, but I’m too indecisive about what I want to do.
B) Not often. I tend to stick to something once I’ve started. Hyperfixations for the win.
C) Every once in a while. I want to try out different things, but I don’t feel like I need to commit to them to enjoy them.
4. WHAT’S YOUR IDEAL PARTY?
A) Don’t care, as long as I’ve got control of the music.
B) A costume party. It’s an excuse to use my old Halloween costumes and dress up.
C) Definitely a bar crawl. We need to check out as many clubs and bars as we can, so why stay in one place?
5. WHAT'S YOUR DRINK OF CHOICE?
A) Spirits. I’m going to need something strong to get through the night.
B) Wine. I pretend to know what wine critics say, but I’m really just here for the rosé.
C) Beer or cider. Listen, I’m trying to find the cheapest option I can.
6.
AT A CROWDED PARTY, WHERE DO YOU GO TO FIND SOME PEACE AND QUIET?
A) Outside. Some fresh air will do me good... and maybe I’ll find someone interesting to share a ciggie with.
B) Some random’s bedroom. I'm hoping for some deep yarns with drunken strangers.
C) The bathroom. It’s a toss-up on whether I’ll get a moment of quiet or be comforting someone through a breakup.
7. YOU’RE GOING FLAT HUNTING WITH YOUR MATES, AND ALL OF YOU ARE ARGUING OVER WHAT TO PRIORITISE. WHAT’S YOUR STANCE?
A) Windows. There has to be plenty of natural light. I don’t want to live in a flat that feels like a cave, I need my sunlight so I can grow plants and be happy.
B) Storage. I’ve got a habit for hoarding clothes and can’t live with a floor-drobe bedroom forever.
C) Location. The flat needs to be close enough to walk or bus to campus and town. After a long day of classes, the last thing I want to do is go on a long bus ride to get home.
8. SOMEONE IS WILDLY UNDERDRESSED FOR THE OCCASION, AND NOBODY IS CALLING THEM OUT FOR IT. WHAT DO YOU DO?
A) Make passive-aggressive remarks about how you feel “overdressed” when you see them. B) Tell them straight to their face, obviously. How else are they going to change?
C) Just leave them alone. That’s none of my business.
9. YOU’RE AT A PARTY AND SOMEONE OFFERS YOU A JOINT. WHAT DO YOU DO?
A) Take it. I’m not going to pass up free weed.
B) Decline. I’m happy with a ciggie and half a bottle of red wine.
C) Accept, but only pretend to smoke it. I want to fit in, and I’m way too anxious to flat out refuse.
10. YOU’VE BEEN INVITED TO A POTLUCK – WHAT DO YOU BRING TO THE TABLE?
A) Home-baked pie. I spent ages making a cool design on the pie crust. But after being baked it was ruined. It still tastes good, though!
B) I’ll bring the drinks. There’s never enough to go around, so I’ll be doing everyone a favour.
C) Obviously I’m bringing the chips. You can never get enough when it comes to parties and potlucks. Snacks are the best choice.
11. IF YOU WERE IN A FILM, WHAT CHARACTER WOULD YOU PLAY?
A) The villain, of course. They get the best lines and they’re dramatic as hell, just like me.
B) The manic-pixie-dream-girl love interest. I don’t actually like waiting around, but it’s kind of fun watching people try to win me over.
C) The hero. Incredible at multitasking, but super oblivious when something important is going on.
mostly A's
artist artist
12. SOMEONE SHOWS UP WEARING THE SAME OUTFIT AS YOU AT AN EVENT. WHAT DO YOU DO?
A) Make my friend swap jackets with me. I refuse to be anything but unique.
B) Convince everyone that I wear it better than they do, because it’s true. I even convince the person in question that I wear it better I’m that good.
C) We’re matching outfits and we both look great! I take a photo with them and tag them in it on my story.
13. IT'S FREEZING OUTSIDE. YOU DON’T WANT TO LEAVE BED, BUT YOU’VE GOT TICKETS TO A
GIG. WHAT DO YOU DO?
A) Well... it’s my gig, so obviously I’ll suck it up and go. But I’ll make sure you know I’d rather be at home listening to my extensive record collection.
B) The cold isn’t stopping me from dressing my best. I put on a cuntiest outfit and brace for the storm.
C) I’m staying home.
14. YOU’RE WALKING HOME, LISTENING TO MUSIC, AND YOUR HEADPHONES DIE. WHAT DO YOU DO?
A) No music? I can’t be left alone with only my thoughts. I play music straight out of my phone speaker until I get home.
B) I should have expected it. But I still won't charge them for the next two weeks.
C) I walk home in silence and enjoy nature. I’ll charge them when I remember next.
YOU’RE A CREATIVE WHIRLWIND AND JUMP BETWEEN HOBBIES LIKE NOBODY’S BUSINESS. YOU HAVE A FLAIR FOR DRAMATICS, AND SOMETIMES IT GETS THE BETTER OF YOU, BUT YOU’RE HERE TO HAVE A GOOD TIME AND TRY NEW THINGS. SOME WOULD CALL YOU STUBBORN AND OPINIONATED, AND YOU CAN’T REALLY ARGUE WITH THAT, BUT YOU LIKE TO THINK YOUR HEADSTRONG PERSONALITY SIMPLY FUELS YOUR ARTISTIC FLARE. YOU HAVE A HABIT OF ROMANTISING PEOPLE A LITTLE TOO MUCH. YOU GOTTA WORK ON THAT.
mostly B's
muse muse
YOU MAY NOT HAVE THE BEST EYE FOR ART, BUT YOU DON’T NEED TO CREATE ART TO APPRECIATE IT. YOU HAVE A BRIGHT PERSONALITY AND ARE THE LIFE OF THE PARTY AND BOY DO YOU KNOW IT. YOU TAKE A MORE WHIMSICAL APPROACH TO LIFE, AND THOUGH IT MAKES SOME PEOPLE THINK YOU’RE ALWAYS DISTRACTED, THE CREATIVES IN YOUR LIFE ALWAYS SEEM TO BE TAKING INSPIRATION FROM YOUR LIFE MORE THAN THEIR OWN.
mostly C's
both both
YOU’VE DABBLED IN A BIT OF BOTH WORLDS, A JACK OF ALL TRADES WITH MANY INTERESTING STORIES TO TELL. YOU CAN BE A BIT ANXIOUS AT TIMES, AND YOU’RE DOING YOUR BEST TO FIGHT THE PEOPLE PLEASER IN YOU, BUT IT’S A LONG BATTLE. YOUR EASY-GOING NATURE MAKES YOU APPROACHABLE AND A GREAT CONVERSATIONALIST, AND YOU’RE GREAT AT BOUNCING IDEAS AROUND WITH ARTISTS AND MUSES ALIKE.
Embracing the Digital Age in a
Third year Fine Arts student Belle Evans meets with me on a bright afternoon, her bubbly personality mirroring the sunlight that pours over us.
From the start, it becomes clear that Belle’s art is centred around connection — between the audience, the artwork, and the energy that binds us as humans.
“Working a lot with frequency, I’m interested in the connection between one’s mind and heart.”
Her practice is rooted in the physical, inviting viewers to engage with her pieces in person, far from the digital spaces we’ve become accustomed to.
Her recent piece, Chokurei, a tactile sculpture made from melted aluminum, embodies this
focus. She collaborated with a music student friend to create a soundtrack set to 639 hertz. As the melted aluminum was cast into water, the vibrations shaped the droplets, physically manifesting the sound's frequency.
Belle’s art could be better described as spaces where people reconnect with their senses, away from the mental noise of daily life. Her choice of aluminum, an industrial, human-made material, serves as a metaphor for transformation.
“I go to the scrapyard and think, this has had a life before, let’s give it a new one.”
Through her process, the rigid material becomes fluid and alive. This physical engagement
extends to Belle’s own body.
In her sculpture Embrace, she has imprinted a hug into a mold, later casting it in aluminum. Instead of involving another person, she chose to embrace herself in this piece. She calls it “an ode to myself — a hug from me to me, for everyone.” In this work, viewers are invited to interact with the pieces, feeling her energy and love as they handle each part.
Belle incorporated video and performance into the piece Embrace. Her friend hid the aluminum pieces in the hills of Mākara, Taranaki near where she grew up, and filmed Belle finding and reconnecting with them.
While the performance was shared digitally, the digital aspect served merely as a tool for sharing the experience, not as the artwork itself.
The video showcased the physical interaction with the pieces, emphasising that her work remains grounded in the tangible world. The process showed her returning to her roots, acknowledging that everything she needs has already been instilled in her from her upbringing.
Belle’s work is an extension of her being. When viewers engage with her sculptures, they are connecting with Belle herself. The physical act of creating these pieces leaves a part of her within each one, turning the interaction into a dialogue between artist and audience.
Her sculptures aren’t meant to be passively viewed but physically experienced. The texture of the aluminum, the soft clinking sounds it makes, and the care she pours into each bead can only be fully appreciated in person.
When I visited her group exhibition, Three Rivers, her sculpture dominated the room, inviting interaction.
I couldn’t resist touching the beads, feeling their rough and smooth surfaces. In that moment, I felt connected — not just to the artwork but to Belle herself.
The pieces are designed to engage the viewer’s senses. The scent of lavender, the tactile nature of the aluminum, the sounds created when touched — all these elements come together to create a multisensory experience that grounds you in the present moment.
Belle’s deep connection to energy and the world around her is rooted in her upbringing, saying her childhood was spent with “salty hair and bare feet”.
“My mum is a craniosacral energy therapist ... I grew up around energy, love, and the ocean.”
These themes profoundly influence her work. “Creating a space where I can feel safe comes through my hands.”
In a world dominated by digital interaction, Belle’s work demands to be experienced in person. Her art is not just meant to be looked at, but the art itself is meant to be felt.
I have a confession to make. While many would see me as always dominant in the bedroom, sometimes I love to be submissive.
Don’t get me wrong, I can definitely switch. But sometimes the dirty whore inside me just wants to be acknowledged.
Personally, for me as an alpha ram of high status, sex is the place where I can let go and lose control. It's not often that I feel degraded in everyday life. I’m constantly showered with compliments and praise for my good looks and smarts. So, I love the change of pace being
degraded provides when a sexual partner calls me Fergus the filthy jizz machine.
There is nothing wrong with wanting your boyfriend to call you degrading names. But just make sure you set boundaries and be safe. The degrading kink works best when you have an understanding that you actually do like and respect each other.
For example, one time this girl made me cum after calling me a grizzly gumboot-licker. But then afterwards she rubbed my back, called me pretty, and spoon-fed me icecream.
It’s all about balance, really.
GOT A CONFESSION, A TAKE,NAUGHTY OR A SEXY STORY?
figure drawing, and we would always have a nude model posing irl.
For a few weeks, we had the same absolute SEX GOD of a man posing. I am normally very profesh at these art classes, but the amount of fanny flutters I was getting just by LOOKING at this man would distract me an endless amount, and I always ended up making a really crappy drawing.
Anyway, after a few weeks, he stopped me after class to grab my number. We got to talking and everyone else had left the class at this point. Somehow, our clothes came off and we were going at it in the art classroom like rabbits. This became a sort of ritual after each class and went on for about four more weeks.
That's when it all came crashing down... literally.
We were going at it against some shelves when they broke and bottles of paint came falling down and covered us, the floor, and everyone's art they'd left behind. As this happens, I twist to avoid getting concussed by a paint bottle and I hear a snap and then lots of swearing and blood.
I broke his dick.
He was freaking out. I was freaking out. I was slipping over in paint while his dick was literally spurting blood. If it couldn't get ANY worse, our teacher had left her phone in the class and had come back to grab it at that very moment.
There I was, naked, covered in paint and penis blood, while he was hopping around with a dick that had swelled up to the size of a wine bottle. She screamed and ran out of the room. I never returned to that art class, and I don't think he did either.
I probably ruined his nude modelling career for good.
ARIES TAURUS GEMINI
Your dreams are huge and ambitious, and that’s not a bad thing! But you need to reel it in a little so they’re actually achievable, or you’ll just keep disappointing yourself.
Just because you’re an earth sign doesn’t mean you should ditch hygiene whenever you’re stressed. It only makes you more stressed, so go have a hot shower and give yourself a break.
It’s Libra season baby, you’re in your prime. You’ve been feeling in tune with yourself. Take it to a new level with some journaling, nail painting, or hair care.
You’ve been feeling super burned out, and there’s someone in your life who’s making it worse. Remember, you aren’t their personal therapist. Recommend they go to a councillor so
You’re being way too indecisive. It’s great to explore your options, but you need to commit to something soon, or you’ll be more lost than you were at the beginning.
It’s a busy time at the moment, and you’ve been missing partying. Your extrovert side needs tending to. Host your own get together, and talk until you lose your voice.
CANCER VIRGO
You've been putting off It’s your time to shine this week, Leo! You’ve been thinking about something for a while, and now is the perfect time to finally do it. No more secondguessing yourself.
opinionated Instagram story, or even better, attend a protest.
AQUARIUS
You’ve been detaching yourself from someone who used to be important to you. And it’s for the better. Stay strong, and keep your distance,
One of your appliances or household items broke recently. Stop debating it and buy a new one. Your flatmates won’t so
You’re a water sign for a reason, Pisces. Stop being so stubborn and just go with the flow for once. There’s something exciting waiting for you around the corner, but you’ll never
DITCH IT!
DOWN ACROSS
4. Novel and film about a stolen painting and a lost boy (3,9)
5. What city is the Christ the Redeemer statue in? (3,2,7)
6. Musical set in a Paris night club (6,5)
7. A public display of art (10)
10. What artist cut off their left ear? (7,3,4)
14. High vocal range singer (7)
17. CoCA (7,2,8,4)
19. What actor played Frida Kahlo? (5,5)
20. Painting by Leonardo da Vinci (4,4)
22. Stock character who is in constant torment due to frustrations with art, other people, or the world in general (8,6)
11. Brand with the slogan ‘the paint the professionals use’ (6) FIND
1. 3D (5,11)
2. Sculpture by Michelangelo (5)
3. Inspiration for an artist (4)
8. Bob Ross’ instructional TV show (3,3,2,8)
9. Cheap material to build sculptures (3,4)
12. Camera brand (5)
13. Strange, mysterious, magnificent, fantastic, hideous, ugly, unpleasant, disgusting (9)
15. Film about artist Margaret Keane, played by Amy Adams (3,4)
16. A strong, coarse unbleached cloth made from hemp, flax, or a similar yarn (6)
18. Where artists set out and mix colours (7)
21. Fujifilm is from what country? (5)
EDITOR IN CHIEF
SAMMY CARTER SHE/HER
GUEST EDITOR / DESIGNER
TE AO MĀORI EDITOR
AARIA HUNIA SHE/HER
SUB-EDITOR
LUKA MARESCA HE/THEY
NGĀTI AWA, NGĀTI RANGITIHI
PUKEAHU REPORTER
REBECCA HOGAN SHE/HER
STAFF WRITER
JESSIE DAVIDSON SHE/HER
NATALYA NEWMAN THEY/SHE
MANAWATŪ REPORTER
ELIZABETH MOISSON SHE/HER
STAFF WRITER
MAISIE ARNOLD-BARRON SHE/HER
TE AO MĀORI ILLUSTRATOR
KEELIN BELL HE/HIM
NGĀTI MANIAPOTO, TI POROU, NGĀ
ŌTEHĀ REPORTER
YESENIA PINEDA SHE/THEY
STAFF WRITER ELI ARMSTRONG HE/THEY
COVER ART BY EMILY MAHONEY
COLOURING PAGE BY JESS SKUDDER
ILLUSTRATOR
MASSIVE P*SSY POCKET POCKET WOULD NOT PROVIDE PURRRNOUNS
