Turumeke Harrington’s latest exhibition is a collaborative project with her ten-year-old daughter Pia Hill. A suite of paintings made by Harrington with acrylic and whenua from around the motu feature urns or uku reminiscent of 18th Century Jasperware from the English pottery manufacturer Wedgewood. But rather than traditional relief decorations depicting neoclassical designs, Harrington’s forms are decorated with characters from Minecraft and Avatar World, bats, fried chicken, and Taylor Swift lyrics (all punctuated by Harrington’s trademark political cynicism). “It is things that I like that my māmā spent hours working on, made out of dirt and clay,” says Hill.
Turumeke Harrington (b. 1992 Otāutahi Christchurch, Kāi Tahu, Rangitāne) has an MFA from Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University, a BFA from Ilam School of Fine Arts, and a Bachelor Design Innovation from Victoria University of Wellington. Harrington has an impressive exhibition history that includes Wairau Māori Art Gallery, Aratoi Museum of Art and History, CoCA, The Dowse Art Museum, Christchurch Art Gallery, Dunedin Public Art Gallery, Pātaka Art + Museum, Enjoy Contemporary Art Space, The Adam Art Gallery, Objectspace, RM Gallery, and The Physics Room. Harrington has been granted public commissions and scholarships, residencies, mentorship programmes, and awards.
Pia Hill (b. 2015 Otāutahi Christchurch, Kāi Tahu, Rangitāne) has a variety of artistic influences, most notably her māmā Turumeke Harrington and ‘sparkly guy’ Reuben Paterson. Other interests include playing busted at school, video games, cooking, Playmobil, and looking after her new pet worm. Previous exhibitions include The Bat Show, which raised hundreds of dollars toward conservation of these endangered species; and Pūrākau at Toi Auaha, a studio space in central Ōtautahi, which featured work by a range of artists and tamariki.
