The Exhibition “Tsunagu-Legacy” was a NZ/Japanese mixed culture themed exhibition.
Written by Sayoko Pettigrew, Artist.
Photo 1: Photo of artists taken on opening night of Exhibition titled Tsunagu-Legacy held at Down By The Liffey Gallery, September 2024. Artists from left to right: Masako Fisher, Sayoko Pettigrew (middle) Asako Ridgen (right).
Photo Two: Coastal by Sayoko Pettigrew
Three artists Asako, Masako and Sayoko were born in Japan, married kiwis and have mixed ethnicity children. This exhibition was started from a thought that recoding part of their story and culture would help their children as they grew up and started to search for their own roots.
The title Tsunagu means to connect, pass on, or relates to something/someone else in Japanese.
They believe one of the keys to live happily together in a multicultural society nowadays is knowing each other. Each artist brought different styles and approaches to the theme and hoped this exhibition will demonstrate how different cultures can blend together and coexist, that the exhibition will show hope and encouragement to anyone struggling with adjusting to new environments and through that both New Zealanders and immigrants can see the beauty of multiculturalism.
Asako Ridge is a printmaker, “Guardian” was inspired by guardians from both cultures, Tiki and Komainu. She also combined two cultures on the background, an origami crane and an origami kiwi made out of wrinkly thick paper were pressed and printed with yellow and red ink. Her “Garden Ninja” idea came up when she was watching cheeky black birds steeling fruits from her garden. No matter how much she protects them, they always manage to get them and she thought “they are like Ninja sneaking in my garden!”
Masako is also a printmaker, she found similarity in Aoraki Mt. Cook and Mt Fuji where she grew up. Hight is almost same, Mt.Cook is 3724m, Mt. Fuji is 3776m. Also Maori legend “Aoraki” is Mt. Cook and in Japan, people used to believe one of the gods lives on top of Mt. Fuji or they thought Mt. Fuji itself was a god. So, she made both mountains for comparison. Mt. Fuji was printed in different colours as the mountain colour changes depending on the season and the sunlight. Red Fuji and Blue Fuji are most famous for good luck.
Sayoko is a multi media artist, she created ”colour of light” series, one of her mixed culture themed projects she’s been working on the last few years. She uses Sumie method with watercolour materials and paints NZ iconic landscape and nature in Japanese Sumie style. She also made Furin wind chimes. They have existed in Japan for more than 2000 years and they are a beloved summer item in Japan which is meant to give cool feeling (Mentally, not psychically) Instead of traditional Furin shape, there were NZ native birds and tomato sauce bottles and origami crane shapes to combine the cultures.
Celebrating Cultural Diversity Through Art: Year 6 Students Collaborate on School Mural
Written by Andrew Ducat, Principal, Konini School
Photo 3: Completed mural at Konini School, Auckland.
At Konini Primary School, our Year 6 students recently partnered with a local artist to create a vibrant mural that encapsulates the essence of our school community. This project was made possible through a generous grant, allowing our students to engage in a meaningful artistic endeavour that will be enjoyed by our community for years to come.
The mural, themed "What happens at Konini School," showcases the diverse activities and values that define our institution. It features representations of sports, reading, music, gardening, and participation in the kapa haka group, highlighting the various ways our students learn and engage. Additionally, iconic school landmarks such as Te Pou, the story tree, and the waterfall are depicted, celebrating the unique beauty of our surroundings.
Our collaborating artist Hanako Clulow, shared their experience:
Working with the Year 6 children was a delightful experience. We discussed what they wanted to include in the mural and embraced the theme 'What happens at Konini School.' The students expressed their love for various activities, and we aimed to capture this diversity. We also wanted to incorporate some iconic scenes of the beautiful school, such as Te Pou, the story tree, and the waterfall. Lastly, I wanted to make this mural as colorful as possible, not just merely to depict scenes, but to reflect the vibrant spirit of the school.
The students thoroughly enjoyed the collaborative process. One Year 6 participant remarked,
It was so much fun working on the mural. I loved painting the story tree and showing what we do at school. It's cool to know that our artwork will be here for everyone to see.
As a school, we valued the opportunity to work with a local artist who brought the students' vision to life. This project not only enhanced the aesthetic appeal of our school but also fostered a sense of pride and accomplishment among the students. The mural stands as a testament to the power of collaboration and the celebration of our school's cultural diversity.
We extend our appreciation to the funding provider for making this enriching experience possible.
DRAGON
Written by Daniel Belton, Good Company Arts.
Good Company Arts presented an AV liveset of our TIGER (Silver Lotus) and DRAGON works with internationally renowned musician/composer Mark de Clive-Lowe and taonga pūoro master Mahina-Ina Kingi-Kaui (Kāti Irakehu, Ngāi Tuahuriri Kāti Huirapa, Te Whanau Pokai. Kāti Māmoe, Kāi Tahu, Ngāti Porou, Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi) for Japan Festival Wellington 2024. It was super special bringing the digital pieces to sonic life on the Michael Fowler Centre main stage with these awesome artists supported by audio engineer Justin Cederholm and director Daniel Belton, live keying film projection assets.
Inspirational rehearsals and recording sessions at Ahumairangi Studio, Massey University College of Creative Arts, were followed by the one-off performance for Japan Festival Wellington programme. It was wonderful to be immersed in Japanese cultural events in Aotearoa New Zealand’s capital, and to contribute to the celebrations. Mark de Clive-Lowe's music forges a richly evocative fusion of Asia-Pacific influences - audiences loved it and we were thrilled to be part of the festival in Pōneke. Another highlight was the uniting of Airu Matsuda with de Clive-Lowe in person. Matsuda-san choreographed and danced solo for TIGER (Silver Lotus) and also appears in DRAGON. Both artists share ancestral roots to Japan and were born in Auckland Tāmaki Makaurau.
Good Company Arts is very grateful to have had this opportunity to bring de Clive-Lowe and Kingi-Kaui to Wellington to work with Belton and creative producer Donnine Harrison and team. It has been a momentous time of co-creation and reciprocity.
Drawing inspiration from the 2024 Asian Zodiac symbol, DRAGON also embraces the ecological and cultural significance of dragons in Japanese and Māori culture. For Māori, the “Tarakona”, akin to the Japanese "Doragon," serves as a guardian representing the life force of a place. As kaitiaki earth guardians, they transmit messages of hope, urging us to be in tune with nature, acknowledging earth and emphasising humanity's custodial role.
Exploring the intersection of ancient myths and modern narratives DRAGON celebrates the unique bridge that links Aotearoa New Zealand to Asia. The fusion of dance, music and theatre with cinematic artistry highlights the power of the arts to transcend boundaries, raise awareness of global ecological issues and bring cultures together in this unique project. During October the team present an AV Liveset of DRAGON in Tokyo, while the film showcases at Tempo Dance Festival, Auckland.
Ngā mihi nui Tui Tuia Learning Circle for your integral support in making this possible. Ngā mihi mahana Creative New Zealand toi Aotearoa and Asia New Zealand Foundation. Ngā mihi maioha Massey University College of Creative Arts, friends and whānau for all your support. Ngā manaakitanga Japan Festival Wellington. Arigatou gozaimasu!
About us:Good Company Arts is a leading voice in extending performing arts beyond the conventional stage. Renowned artists work together through the leadership of Daniel and Donnine to produce unique multi-modal projects. Collaboration between artists is the key to creative genesis and to sharing our stories. We bring ideas from our respective places of origin and cultures, to an open space where these concepts can find coherence inside common visions. Projects become springboards for inter-cultural fluency, learning and reciprocity. Stories that highlight our relationship to the natural world through movement and sound are central to this vision of unity, which is about celebrating diversity in life.
Babel Project: Modeling Language Learning “After the Flood"
Written by Dennitza Gabrakova, Project Coordinator.
Photo 5/6: Book Launch
Hosted by Wai-te-ata Press of Victoria University of Wellington, November 14th marked a heart-warming celebration of the long-term effort of an ever-expanding team of people united by the passion of translation and publishing: six students in Japanese from Victoria University of Wellington, their teachers, colleagues of their teachers, audiences of their teachers, those supporting the Master of Intercultural Communication and Applied Translation program, a talented young book designer, an empathic publisher, new students, new aspiring translators and book makers…an internationally renowned bilingual creative writer, an iconic contemporary sculptor…This project was felicitous in the way of providing a platform/a construction site for forms of diffuse communication, which so easily escape the grids of university course planning and research. Yoko Tawada’s text simultaneously captures the global situation of environmental precarity and the academic vulnerability of the humanities with foreign languages and cultures at its core. A precious message from Tawada holds clues for the challenges of leadership as rebuilding, a reparative leadership:
…As this play is concerned with the aftermath of a great flood, I wonder, what comes to mind when you hear the words “great flood”? Do you think of the tsunami that followed the Tohoku Earthquake of March 2011? Or perhaps the more recent waves of Corona? Due to changes in the weather, Germany has started to see an increase in floods from its rivers, and just recently a terrible flood occurred in Spain. While a flood is devastating in and of itself, reclaiming one’s life after the flood has come and gone is just as brutal. People who helped each other during the flood may suddenly turn on one another, as it’s said that the aftermath of a major disaster makes it easier for a violent dictatorship to take hold. When I was an elementary school student in the 1960s, smog, food pollution, drug pollution and the destruction of nature were on the news every day, and even as a child these environmental issues weighed heavily on my mind. I felt as though these problems would be resolved if humans just weren’t around. But because humans themselves are the ones thinking this way, these problems will not go away so easily. It seems like there isn’t much else we can do but wrestle with unsolvable problems. To try and speak in the voice of an animal is yet another attempt at wrestling with these issues.
(Translated by Joe Wright)
The translation process, especially of a performative text, Tawada’s playscript Animals’ Babel, is fluid and diffuse, but the EBook produced by Wai-te-ata press captures its trace. The uniqueness and independent quality of this “trace”, is due to Brooke Soulsby’s design, and to the luxury of having Kenji Yanobe’s original illustrations. The lines on the page came to life, acquired a tone and vitality in proximity to these illustrations. Accomplished creator with a taste for monumentality, Yanobe is one of the most important contemporary artists; and if there is a reason, he is not known by everyone, it would be the uneasiness and almost embarrassing positivity of his works, a stance, which of course takes to the extreme ideologies of progress, survival and revival1. Yanobe had been developing a project of an iconic cat, which grew both in size and scale out of an installation of scattered ruins. This creative origin is combined with his debut as an artist in the 1990s, literally, conceptually and aesthetically out of the demolition site of Osaka Expo 1970. World Fairs (and here we have an incredible cycle with the upcoming one Osaka Expo 2025) are monumental Babel projects undeniably striving to present a brighter future, grappling how to come to terms with the dark present and the slowly disappearing social enthusiasm and audience.
We invite everyone to access the EBook on the site of Wai-te-ata Press and play a part in the expanding team! We also invite you to read more about the pedagogical implications of this project in a forthcoming chapter from Translation, Translanguaging and Machine Translation in Foreign Language Education, edited by David Coulson (Ritsumeikan Unviversity, Japan) and Christopher Denman (Sultan Qaboos University, Oman).
From late November 2021, when the initial idea of engaging this play hesitantly entered our lives, to the formation of the team in March 2022, and then to the completion of the translation in December 2023, exactly three years have passed. Meanwhile, a translation by one of the most prolific translators from Japanese into English, Doug Slaymaker, saw the light of day in a profoundly different, yet complementary context: an academic collection of essays on post-Fukushima futures as portrayed in German and Japanese creative work2. The effect of synchronicity in the publication of Tawada’s play by an established translator and the future translators in plural is yet another rendition of the overlapping voices and the “weight of words” (Slaymaker) from the final scene of Animals’ Babel.
Note 1: For an integrative reading of Kenji Yanobe’s creative trajectory, please refer to my Memory and Fabrication in East Asian Visual Culture: Ruinous Garden (Routledge, 2023), Chapter 2 “The Hedges of Brightness: Yanobe Kenji’s Adventure”. The initial draft of this chapter was translated from Japanese to English by Grant Randell, the first participant in this project.
Note 2: Baer, Hester and Michele M. Mason (eds.) Nuclear Futures in Post-Fukushima Age: Literature, Film, and Performance from Germany and Japan. Palgrave McMillan, 2024.
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2024 NZJEP Articles
The Exhibition “Tsunagu-Legacy” was a NZ/Japanese mixed culture themed exhibition.
Written by Sayoko Pettigrew, Artist.
Photo 1: Photo of artists taken on opening night of Exhibition titled Tsunagu-Legacy held at Down By The Liffey Gallery, September 2024. Artists from left to right: Masako Fisher, Sayoko Pettigrew (middle) Asako Ridgen (right).
Photo Two: Coastal by Sayoko Pettigrew
Three artists Asako, Masako and Sayoko were born in Japan, married kiwis and have mixed ethnicity children. This exhibition was started from a thought that recoding part of their story and culture would help their children as they grew up and started to search for their own roots.
The title Tsunagu means to connect, pass on, or relates to something/someone else in Japanese.
They believe one of the keys to live happily together in a multicultural society nowadays is knowing each other. Each artist brought different styles and approaches to the theme and hoped this exhibition will demonstrate how different cultures can blend together and coexist, that the exhibition will show hope and encouragement to anyone struggling with adjusting to new environments and through that both New Zealanders and immigrants can see the beauty of multiculturalism.
Asako Ridge is a printmaker, “Guardian” was inspired by guardians from both cultures, Tiki and Komainu. She also combined two cultures on the background, an origami crane and an origami kiwi made out of wrinkly thick paper were pressed and printed with yellow and red ink. Her “Garden Ninja” idea came up when she was watching cheeky black birds steeling fruits from her garden. No matter how much she protects them, they always manage to get them and she thought “they are like Ninja sneaking in my garden!”
Masako is also a printmaker, she found similarity in Aoraki Mt. Cook and Mt Fuji where she grew up. Hight is almost same, Mt.Cook is 3724m, Mt. Fuji is 3776m. Also Maori legend “Aoraki” is Mt. Cook and in Japan, people used to believe one of the gods lives on top of Mt. Fuji or they thought Mt. Fuji itself was a god. So, she made both mountains for comparison. Mt. Fuji was printed in different colours as the mountain colour changes depending on the season and the sunlight. Red Fuji and Blue Fuji are most famous for good luck.
Sayoko is a multi media artist, she created ”colour of light” series, one of her mixed culture themed projects she’s been working on the last few years. She uses Sumie method with watercolour materials and paints NZ iconic landscape and nature in Japanese Sumie style. She also made Furin wind chimes. They have existed in Japan for more than 2000 years and they are a beloved summer item in Japan which is meant to give cool feeling (Mentally, not psychically) Instead of traditional Furin shape, there were NZ native birds and tomato sauce bottles and origami crane shapes to combine the cultures.
Celebrating Cultural Diversity Through Art: Year 6 Students Collaborate on School Mural
Written by Andrew Ducat, Principal, Konini School
Photo 3: Completed mural at Konini School, Auckland.
At Konini Primary School, our Year 6 students recently partnered with a local artist to create a vibrant mural that encapsulates the essence of our school community. This project was made possible through a generous grant, allowing our students to engage in a meaningful artistic endeavour that will be enjoyed by our community for years to come.
The mural, themed "What happens at Konini School," showcases the diverse activities and values that define our institution. It features representations of sports, reading, music, gardening, and participation in the kapa haka group, highlighting the various ways our students learn and engage. Additionally, iconic school landmarks such as Te Pou, the story tree, and the waterfall are depicted, celebrating the unique beauty of our surroundings.
Our collaborating artist Hanako Clulow, shared their experience:
Working with the Year 6 children was a delightful experience. We discussed what they wanted to include in the mural and embraced the theme 'What happens at Konini School.' The students expressed their love for various activities, and we aimed to capture this diversity. We also wanted to incorporate some iconic scenes of the beautiful school, such as Te Pou, the story tree, and the waterfall. Lastly, I wanted to make this mural as colorful as possible, not just merely to depict scenes, but to reflect the vibrant spirit of the school.
The students thoroughly enjoyed the collaborative process. One Year 6 participant remarked,
It was so much fun working on the mural. I loved painting the story tree and showing what we do at school. It's cool to know that our artwork will be here for everyone to see.
As a school, we valued the opportunity to work with a local artist who brought the students' vision to life. This project not only enhanced the aesthetic appeal of our school but also fostered a sense of pride and accomplishment among the students. The mural stands as a testament to the power of collaboration and the celebration of our school's cultural diversity.
We extend our appreciation to the funding provider for making this enriching experience possible.
DRAGON
Written by Daniel Belton, Good Company Arts.
Good Company Arts presented an AV liveset of our TIGER (Silver Lotus) and DRAGON works with internationally renowned musician/composer Mark de Clive-Lowe and taonga pūoro master Mahina-Ina Kingi-Kaui (Kāti Irakehu, Ngāi Tuahuriri Kāti Huirapa, Te Whanau Pokai. Kāti Māmoe, Kāi Tahu, Ngāti Porou, Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi) for Japan Festival Wellington 2024. It was super special bringing the digital pieces to sonic life on the Michael Fowler Centre main stage with these awesome artists supported by audio engineer Justin Cederholm and director Daniel Belton, live keying film projection assets.
Inspirational rehearsals and recording sessions at Ahumairangi Studio, Massey University College of Creative Arts, were followed by the one-off performance for Japan Festival Wellington programme. It was wonderful to be immersed in Japanese cultural events in Aotearoa New Zealand’s capital, and to contribute to the celebrations. Mark de Clive-Lowe's music forges a richly evocative fusion of Asia-Pacific influences - audiences loved it and we were thrilled to be part of the festival in Pōneke. Another highlight was the uniting of Airu Matsuda with de Clive-Lowe in person. Matsuda-san choreographed and danced solo for TIGER (Silver Lotus) and also appears in DRAGON. Both artists share ancestral roots to Japan and were born in Auckland Tāmaki Makaurau.
Good Company Arts is very grateful to have had this opportunity to bring de Clive-Lowe and Kingi-Kaui to Wellington to work with Belton and creative producer Donnine Harrison and team. It has been a momentous time of co-creation and reciprocity.
Drawing inspiration from the 2024 Asian Zodiac symbol, DRAGON also embraces the ecological and cultural significance of dragons in Japanese and Māori culture. For Māori, the “Tarakona”, akin to the Japanese "Doragon," serves as a guardian representing the life force of a place. As kaitiaki earth guardians, they transmit messages of hope, urging us to be in tune with nature, acknowledging earth and emphasising humanity's custodial role.
Exploring the intersection of ancient myths and modern narratives DRAGON celebrates the unique bridge that links Aotearoa New Zealand to Asia. The fusion of dance, music and theatre with cinematic artistry highlights the power of the arts to transcend boundaries, raise awareness of global ecological issues and bring cultures together in this unique project. During October the team present an AV Liveset of DRAGON in Tokyo, while the film showcases at Tempo Dance Festival, Auckland.
Ngā mihi nui Tui Tuia Learning Circle for your integral support in making this possible. Ngā mihi mahana Creative New Zealand toi Aotearoa and Asia New Zealand Foundation. Ngā mihi maioha Massey University College of Creative Arts, friends and whānau for all your support. Ngā manaakitanga Japan Festival Wellington. Arigatou gozaimasu!
About us:Good Company Arts is a leading voice in extending performing arts beyond the conventional stage. Renowned artists work together through the leadership of Daniel and Donnine to produce unique multi-modal projects. Collaboration between artists is the key to creative genesis and to sharing our stories. We bring ideas from our respective places of origin and cultures, to an open space where these concepts can find coherence inside common visions. Projects become springboards for inter-cultural fluency, learning and reciprocity. Stories that highlight our relationship to the natural world through movement and sound are central to this vision of unity, which is about celebrating diversity in life.
Babel Project: Modeling Language Learning “After the Flood"
Written by Dennitza Gabrakova, Project Coordinator.
Photo 5/6: Book Launch
Hosted by Wai-te-ata Press of Victoria University of Wellington, November 14th marked a heart-warming celebration of the long-term effort of an ever-expanding team of people united by the passion of translation and publishing: six students in Japanese from Victoria University of Wellington, their teachers, colleagues of their teachers, audiences of their teachers, those supporting the Master of Intercultural Communication and Applied Translation program, a talented young book designer, an empathic publisher, new students, new aspiring translators and book makers…an internationally renowned bilingual creative writer, an iconic contemporary sculptor…This project was felicitous in the way of providing a platform/a construction site for forms of diffuse communication, which so easily escape the grids of university course planning and research. Yoko Tawada’s text simultaneously captures the global situation of environmental precarity and the academic vulnerability of the humanities with foreign languages and cultures at its core. A precious message from Tawada holds clues for the challenges of leadership as rebuilding, a reparative leadership:
…As this play is concerned with the aftermath of a great flood, I wonder, what comes to mind when you hear the words “great flood”? Do you think of the tsunami that followed the Tohoku Earthquake of March 2011? Or perhaps the more recent waves of Corona? Due to changes in the weather, Germany has started to see an increase in floods from its rivers, and just recently a terrible flood occurred in Spain. While a flood is devastating in and of itself, reclaiming one’s life after the flood has come and gone is just as brutal. People who helped each other during the flood may suddenly turn on one another, as it’s said that the aftermath of a major disaster makes it easier for a violent dictatorship to take hold. When I was an elementary school student in the 1960s, smog, food pollution, drug pollution and the destruction of nature were on the news every day, and even as a child these environmental issues weighed heavily on my mind. I felt as though these problems would be resolved if humans just weren’t around. But because humans themselves are the ones thinking this way, these problems will not go away so easily. It seems like there isn’t much else we can do but wrestle with unsolvable problems. To try and speak in the voice of an animal is yet another attempt at wrestling with these issues.
(Translated by Joe Wright)
The translation process, especially of a performative text, Tawada’s playscript Animals’ Babel, is fluid and diffuse, but the EBook produced by Wai-te-ata press captures its trace. The uniqueness and independent quality of this “trace”, is due to Brooke Soulsby’s design, and to the luxury of having Kenji Yanobe’s original illustrations. The lines on the page came to life, acquired a tone and vitality in proximity to these illustrations. Accomplished creator with a taste for monumentality, Yanobe is one of the most important contemporary artists; and if there is a reason, he is not known by everyone, it would be the uneasiness and almost embarrassing positivity of his works, a stance, which of course takes to the extreme ideologies of progress, survival and revival1. Yanobe had been developing a project of an iconic cat, which grew both in size and scale out of an installation of scattered ruins. This creative origin is combined with his debut as an artist in the 1990s, literally, conceptually and aesthetically out of the demolition site of Osaka Expo 1970. World Fairs (and here we have an incredible cycle with the upcoming one Osaka Expo 2025) are monumental Babel projects undeniably striving to present a brighter future, grappling how to come to terms with the dark present and the slowly disappearing social enthusiasm and audience.
We invite everyone to access the EBook on the site of Wai-te-ata Press and play a part in the expanding team! We also invite you to read more about the pedagogical implications of this project in a forthcoming chapter from Translation, Translanguaging and Machine Translation in Foreign Language Education, edited by David Coulson (Ritsumeikan Unviversity, Japan) and Christopher Denman (Sultan Qaboos University, Oman).
From late November 2021, when the initial idea of engaging this play hesitantly entered our lives, to the formation of the team in March 2022, and then to the completion of the translation in December 2023, exactly three years have passed. Meanwhile, a translation by one of the most prolific translators from Japanese into English, Doug Slaymaker, saw the light of day in a profoundly different, yet complementary context: an academic collection of essays on post-Fukushima futures as portrayed in German and Japanese creative work2. The effect of synchronicity in the publication of Tawada’s play by an established translator and the future translators in plural is yet another rendition of the overlapping voices and the “weight of words” (Slaymaker) from the final scene of Animals’ Babel.
Note 1: For an integrative reading of Kenji Yanobe’s creative trajectory, please refer to my Memory and Fabrication in East Asian Visual Culture: Ruinous Garden (Routledge, 2023), Chapter 2 “The Hedges of Brightness: Yanobe Kenji’s Adventure”. The initial draft of this chapter was translated from Japanese to English by Grant Randell, the first participant in this project.
Note 2: Baer, Hester and Michele M. Mason (eds.) Nuclear Futures in Post-Fukushima Age: Literature, Film, and Performance from Germany and Japan. Palgrave McMillan, 2024.
