NZ: Kiwi Consciousness Contemporary Artists from NZ...

 Today, I went to the mailbox not expecting anything but bills and flyers, however, I was in for a pleasant surprise as there was a thick parcel addressed to me. I couldn't recall buying anything of late via internet so thought to open and find out what it might be.

The surprise came in the form of a thick hard covered 500 page book called "New Zealand: Kiwi Consciousness Contemporary Artists from New Zealand (2016) by Imago Mundi, Luciano Benetton Collection now catalogued in www.imagomundiart.com

This was the culmination of Rosa Maria Falvo, independent writer and curator whom I met over the internet via emails when she asked if I could like to be a part of the project. That was last year and to see my painting on page 385 as a part of the collection is a real honour.

The book is a part of a series of world exhibitions that Luciano Benetton Foundation has collected over the years and can be found on the above website. What is amazing about it is that emerging artists, like myself, can exhibit alongside established NZ artists i.e. those who have had exhibitions around the world or nationally and each artist has one 12 x 10 cm board exhibited all in one book.

The book itself showcases the paintings of some 210 NZ artists from different cultures, backgrounds and disciplines etc. Written in English and Italian, it's a quality book which I'm very proud to be a part of as I am one of the Pasifika artists representing Pasifika art in NZ.

In one of my last year's blogs I discussed about the painting that I had sent out to be considered called "Pacific Hibiscus in God NZone" and it was accepted to be a part of the NZ collection that was exhibited in Italy and launched near the end of last year.

It's now spurred me to continue pursuing my painting dream that I thought I wouldn't be able to do but now am incorporating it into my books and with exhibitions to be planned for the future. Such a blessing...