Filipe Tohi and Deborah Crowe

On the 29th September, we had a lecture that came to our class, she talked to us about her practice and how it work. She also talked to us about her experiment, ideas/themes, and her research, what materials she uses, relationships and outcome/outputs. Crowe love for art is amazing she has made art unbelievable. Crowe done her research, her artwork in sculpture is something, when I first saw Crowe artwork, I believe it was beautiful, the structure of her metal/steel weaving because she also told us 'she also loved constructing weaving'. In her weaving she likes to use many random materials/media like use of light, wood, steel, metal, text, patterns, flowers and other things that relates to her practice. Crowe also loves large things like scaffolding, fabric and frame structure of a building or a bridge too, she also has this weird interest thing when she was little, she got locked into a cabin or something, and she would imagine herself in another world, where she thinks and uses her imagination. Crowe big influence was her mother, she was a very good sewer and weaver as she made and repaired their clothes when they were little.

After Deborah Crowe talk, we went to a Gallery in Mangere Town Centre called Nga Tohu o uenuku. This Artist we went to see was similar to Crowe artwork but the material they use were completely different but they were also sculpture artist. The artist name was Sopolemalama Filipe Tohi; he immigrated into New Zealand in 1978, and has been sculpturing wood, stone and steel since 1992. His artwork explores the pattern of lalava, an old Island tradition, using of joining and binding materials together. One of his artwork was a lalava/ sennit Haukafa; it is the name of Tongan tradition binding methods. The lalava is usually done with two colors, while weaving. “My work transforms the technology of the past into a modern representation of identity and experience.” Yes I really do I agree what Filipe saying, he is transforming his ideas and making/ expressing the Polynesian heritage, while he is constructing many new things that relates to what he wants to do for the community. Like I said again I really LOVE, and admire this artist artwork. I love his passion to art and how he expresses it in his own way.