Commencing our 2018 season of solo exhibitions, Blak Dot Gallery is thrilled to present the work of Kirsten Lyttle.
Kirsten is a Melbourne based multi-media artist who is of Māori descent. Her Iwi (tribe) is Waikato, tribal affiliation is Ngāti Tahinga, Tainui A Whiro. She was born in Sydney, spent her childhood in Wellington, New Zealand and grew-up in Melbourne, where she is still based. Her arts practise explores the expression of Maori customary art (in particular, weaving) through digital technologies, such as photography and scanning.
~ Keteparaha: Toolkit ~
“In October 2017 I went to the Te Roopu Raranga Whatu o Aotearoa (National Weavers Hui) in Rotoura, Aotearoa (New Zealand). It was my first weaving hui (meeting). Over three days I laughed, ate, saw amazing taonga (treasures) and learnt more about weaving and myself than I can describe in words.
The works in this exhibition celebrate the Irreverence, adaptability and practicality of wahine Māori”
Originally studying Philosophy (B.A Hons., La Trobe University), she left her Master of Arts (Research) in Philosophy at the University of Melbourne to pursue her passion for art. Trained as a photographer (Fine Art) at RMIT University, she completed a Fine Art Degree with Distinction in 2008. Distinctions’ continued when in 2013, she was awarded a Master of Fine Art (RMIT University). She is currently a PhD candidate at Deakin University (Burwood) currently teaching photography in the School of Community and Creative Arts, Deakin University.
She has exhibited widely in Australia and internationally. Her most recent show was Digital Mana, shown at CCP (Centre for Contemporary Photography) earlier this year. Her work has been shown internationally at Indonesian Contemporary Art Network Yogyakarta (Indonesia), Galleria 291 Est. Rome (Italy), and Oedipus Rex Gallery Auckland. In 2015 she went to Canada as the artist in residence as part of the RMIT/University of Lethbridge, Indigenous Residency Gushul Studio, Blairmore, Canada.
Opening event: Thursday 22 March, 6.30 – 8.30pm
Image: Kirsten Lyttle, Poroka (Frog), (2018)