Storage Room, John Tiger Shen, 2023, design by Thea Long
Back Room
A Hyphen Exhibition
26 April - 26 May, 2024
Opening Event: Saturday 27 April, 1.30-3.30pm
Boardroom Gallery
Follow along the corridor, up the stairs and past the rooms on the left. The entrance is around the corner. There’s a party happening now.
In this space, responsibilities cease to exist even if for a few precious minutes.
We serve ourselves in more ways than just food. Speed up, slow down, it's our call.
The only agenda is to lose track of the agenda.
We make our own rules - important figures making important decisions.
Hyphen brings together artists of Asian descent into the Back Room to reflect on their existence as workers and creatives in the world. The reality of being an artist is to constantly play a game of tug of war between one's practice and the costs of sustaining a livelihood. Here in the Back Room, away from prying eyes, workers revel in the camaraderie that comes from a shared cynicism and dreams yet to be realised. Wouldn’t you like to know what goes on in the Back Room?
Photo credit: Samantha Cheng
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Samantha Cheng works across installation, sculpture and video to pursue purposelessness and seek out humourous encounters in art making. In her practice these are strategies to reconceive of failure as a generative space for making performative gestures that operate as an ongoing rehearsal for the real world. Based in Tāmaki Makaurau, she can often be found attempting impossible things like running into the sunset or taking holidays during 10-minute work breaks.
Ana Garcia is a multidisciplinary artist of Filipino descent seeking to form an ātea through her practice for both migrants and non-migrants alike: a clearing or space for conversation and understanding. Often working across found objects and archival materials from her family's migrant experiences, Garcia seeks to re-present and question existing ideologies around cultural identity, 'the good life' and assimilation within Aotearoa. Currently she is looking into the ways systems of language and writing form part of her practice.
Summer Liuu is an artist of Chinese and Pākehā descent. Through printmaking and painting, she plays with colour and form in abstract and gestural scenes of nature. In her practice, the shapes, patterns, and forms of the environment inform the creation of her works. She has a lifelong practice of collecting things from nature, particularly shells and sea glass. In her search for the next shell, she is also looking for new possibilities in her artmaking.
Thea Long was born in the western region of China in the late 1990s. She grew up during a period of rapid economic development in China, which brought about a significant change in the mind-set of a new generation. The collision between ideas, conservative culture and religion influences and inspires her work. Thea’s artistic practice draws inspiration from her inner world, creating a range of works in the form of videos, paintings, textile, performance, and sculpture.
Born in Beijing, China, John Tiger Shen embarked on a creative journey that seamlessly blends his cultural heritage with a fresh perspective. At the age of 8, he relocated to New Zealand. Having spent his formative years immersed in a different culture, Shen developed a deep curiosity for Chinese traditions, identity, and the influence of stereotypes. Through his lens, he delves into the intricate details of mundane life, capturing captivating moments that evoke a sense of nostalgia, contemplation, and reconnection.