The Ancient Mariners

Wellington-based Samoan artist, Sheyne Tuffery’s solo exhibition The Ancient Mariners has opened at Papakura Art Gallery and it’s BEAUTIFUL!

Becoming a Matai (Samoan Chief) was the catalyst for Sheyne Tuffery’s multimedia exhibition The Ancient Mariners. Tuffery said he responded to the significance of being given the title of Matai by taking a fresh look at Polynesian history.

“The Ancient Mariners is an exhibition depicting my perpetual fascination with Polynesian antiquity and the incredible seafaring of our ancestors. My new work is an artist’s depiction of Island life when the Polynesians were searching of new lands to start new cultures 2000 years before the first missionaries began to even think about coming down here.”

Tuffery, based in Wellington, works predominantly in mixed media painting, moving image and printmaking. Perhaps best known for the dynamic style of his prints and woodcuts, Sheyne describes himself as a paper architect, using his work to create and represent his own cultural context and sense of belonging.

Images courtesy of Papakura Art Gallery

What: The Ancient Mariners // A solo exhibition by Sheyne Tuffery
Where: Papakura Art Gallery, 10 Averill Street, Papakura, South Auckland
When: 14 May – 11 June
Opening hours: Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm, Saturday 10am – 2pm

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• Contact the Gallery for more information on 09 297 7510

D.A.N.C.E Southside!

Auckland based artists’ collective D.A.N.C.E. (Distinguished All Night Community Entertainers) will entertain guests in a special Pacific Arts Summit performance at Papakura Art Gallery, programmed to complement Sheyne Tuffery’s exhibition The Ancient Mariners.

D.A.N.C.E. facilitates art gatherings in which boundaries are blurred between creative disciplines and where social engagement is their key focus.  The collective’s events incorporate art installations that include themed music, food, refreshments and entertainment. They thrive on the collaborative and social nature of projects and event organisation is considered as much a part of the art as the objects on display.

D.A.N.C.E.’s performances aim to encourage audience engagement and participation as a way of opening up conversation and making art accessible to a wider audience.

D.A.N.C.E Art Club *Live Performance*
When: 11am, Saturday 21 May
Where: Papakura Art Gallery, 10 Averill Street, Papakura

Read more about D.A.N.C.E in the current Tautai Trust Newsletter here