Over the last 3 years I have been working on a number of paintings investigating complexity of Climate Change. To represent diverse ideas of this complex subject I have been painting live portraits of individuals who work on climate change research and mitigation. Live portraits facilitate the candid interviews and spring new lines of inquiry which started with Antarctic scientific methods and climate change significance. My research continues with reading scientific papers and books, watching documentaries, interviewing scientists, and integrating indigenous knowledge, philosophy and connections into and across various mediums. While attending Antarctic Conferences as well as talks and events at the Antarctic Research Centre (ARC) at Victoria University I am continuously building my network for identifying sitters and resources as well as looking into further outlets for the resulting work while sharpening my spoken/written message. I am also hoping to find collaboration opportunities so this project can best share the scientific discoveries as well as our collective experience around climate change with the public.

The project was sparked by meeting Nick Golledge, a professor of Glaciology at Victoria University where my fascination with the Antarctic landscape originated and grew into curiosity about Antarctic Science and how it connected to Climate Change. The portraits I am working on represent the diverse scientific community with geologist Peter Barrett, paleoclimatologist Nancy Bertler, sea ice researcher Pat Langhorne, and many others, including inspirational figures like Dame Jane Goodall, policy maker and Climate Change Minister James Shaw, and local activists like Māori biodynamic grower Jessica Hutchings and economist/self alignment practitioner Pala Molisa. While all of my sitters have an overlapping concern for our planet’s future, each of them has their own story to tell about climate change work and how they’ve chosen to address the issues at hand.

The end goal of my project is a series of exhibitions, including at DOC and the Parliament exhibition space Bowen House and possibly venues in Christchurch and Auckland; in addition I am planning on media coverage of my project for most of which I already have letters of support. Through the stories told in my portraits, relevant artefacts, and the melting sculpture of Antarctica (I have designed as 3D interactive artwork) I am hoping to share the urgency for climate change mitigation with the general public and inspire action on all levels, from the government to the individual.

Please feel free to contact me for further information if you’d like to take part in this journey with me or help share the stories.