Coca - Art Exhibitions - Christchurch

09.08.25

24.08.25

Whakawhanaungatanga means the process of building and sustaining those multi-layered, flexible, and dynamic relationships and forms the foundation of our communities.

The 2023 inaugural show was born from a desire to foster creative collaboration between Ara Institute of Canterbury and Ilam School of Fine Arts students.

Playing with the tradition of a salon-style hang, Whakawhanaungatanga 2025 features the work of close to 40 students. This exhibition builds on the legacy of the original and continues to offer opportunity for connection, communal growth, and for tauira from both institutions to share their work with each other, the community, and the art world in a well-established art space.

“Whānau is often translated as ‘family’, but its meaning is more complex. It includes physical, emotional and spiritual dimensions and is based on whakapapa. Whānau can be multi-layered, flexible and dynamic. Whānau is based on a Māori and a tribal world view. It is through the whānau that values, histories and traditions from the ancestors are adapted for the contemporary world.” -Tai Walker, academic.

'Whakawhanaungatanga 2025' - Gallery view, Photo Credit Rebecca Low

George French, 'Two Blankets and Tobacco', Oil pastel, oil paint, acrylic on wool blanket, 109 x 147cm, 2025, Photo Credit Simon Jarman

Imogen Lovell, 'Window Facing West', Oil paint on canvas, 30 x 25cm, 2025, Photo Credit Simon Jarman

Mackenzie Tait, 'Bundled Up, Unknown', Illustrative prints, each 25 x 17 cm, 2025, Photo Credit Simon Jarman

Adrian Grey-Bell, 'Trauma', Pigment Liner on Cardstock, each 93 x 42 cm, 2025, Photo Credit Simon Jarman

Jack Banks, 'Mum and M.E.', Hand drawn animation, 4 mins 50 secs duration, 24” monitor with audio, 2025, Photo Credit Simon Jarman

Amy Carpenter, 'Swatch #1', 'Swatch #2', 'Sea Stack', 'Rapanui', 'A Place for You Calico', found fabric, thread, Dimensions variable, 2025, Robbie Poon, 'Sellout' - detail, Photo Credit Simon Jarman

Robbie Poon, 'Sellout', Oil on board, foam, plastic, 65 x 75 x15cm, 2025 Photo Credit Simon Jarman

Tommy Grick, Acrylic on canvas, 45 x 40 cm, 2025, Photo Credit Simon Jarman

Heather Reid-van Gerwen, 'altar/alter', Lino cut on Japanese paper, MDF, found materials, 60 x 85 x 40 cm, 2025, Photo Credit Simon Jarman

Kane Vangioni, 'WHAT THE FUZZ ?!', Mixed media, 42 x 55 x 20 cm, 2025, Photo Credit Rebecca Low

Jack Freeman and Emma Foung, 'Enjoy Coca Cola…', Sandwich board, paint, 90 x 60 x 50cm, 2025, Photo Credit Simon Jarman

Lauren Willet-Hall, 'Father Now', Acrylic on canvas, 30 x 21 cm, 2025, Photo Credit Simon Jarman

Simon Jarman, 'Canyon', Cyanotype on glass, 61 x 51 cm, 2025, Photo Credit Simon

Rata Jamieson, '@uc.fitz', Print on cotton, lace trim, 46 x 46 cm, 2025, Photo Credit Simon Jarman

Xinran Yu, 'Hunger Dream #1', Acrylic on panel, 60 × 40 cm, 2025, Photo Credit Simon Jarman

CJ Maglaqui, '“Recollection” Autopsy PR5397.F7', Single channel moving image, digital TV 16 mins 39 secs duration, 2025, Photo Credit Simon Jarman

Karla Hawthorne, 'Decollate', Inkjet print on paper, 84 x 39 cm, 2025, Photo Credit Simon Jarman

Sierra Bright, 'Ārai' - detail, Harakeke and tī kōuka twine, paper beads, 200 x 90 cm, 2025, Photo Credit Rebecca Low

Gabrielle Carlile-Smith, 'Christ Jesus the Provider' - detail, Acrylic on board, cast plaster, 75 x 82 x 15cm, 2025, Photo Credit Simon Jarman

Mieke Mulder, 'Holy Trinity', Pigment ink photograph, 59 x 42cm, 2025, Photo Credit Simon Jarman

Vivien Silver-Hessey, 'Can I Be Your Favourite Mug?', Stoneware, glaze, wire, beads, 13 x 20.5 x 18cm, 2025, Photo Credit Rebecca Low

Emily Hickling, 'Amalgamate', Drypoint and embroidery on paper, 35 x 29 cm, 2025, Photo Credit Simon Jarman

Murphy Robinson, 'Together and Among the Chaos', Pigment ink photograph, 42 x 60 cm each, 2025 , Photo Credit Simon Jarman

Lydia Iosefo, 'Leave for a Better Future and Home?', Acrylic paint on suitcases, 41 x 63 x 19 cm, 34 x 50 x 16.5cm, 2025, Photo Credit Simon Jarman

William Wills, 'Leading Up and Split Open', Pigment ink photograph, 42 x 60 cm each, 2023, Photo Credit Simon Jarman

Charlie Campbell, 'Icarus Variation II', Oil paint on MDF, 65 x 18 cm, 2025, Photo Credit Simon Jarman

Hayley Morrison, 'Tree #1', Air dry clay, paper mache, wood, synthetic stuffing, silver string, string lights, recycled paper, acrylic paint, matte varnish, Dimensions Variable, 2025, Photo Credit Rebecca Low

Eliza Ward, 'Porcelain', Charcoal on paper, timber frame, 210 x 90 cm, 2025, Photo Credit Simon Jarman

Sophie Brown, 'Between Steel and Soil', Moving image, CRT television, 4 mins 42 secs duration, 2025, Photo Credit Simon Jarman

Rebecca Brown, 'Untitled (Dining Table)', Oil paint on MDF, 102 x 59 cm, 2025, Photo Credit Simon Jarman

Hannah Dent, 'Carousel through history', Acrylic and card, 40 x 40 x 20 cm, 2025, Photo Credit Simon Jarman

Vienna Nunns, 'Untitled', Pencil on paper, fabric, Dimensions variable, 2025, Photo Credit Simon Jarman

Cam Robinson, 'The Banishing of Lucifer', Pigment ink photograph, framed, 21.5 x 51.9 x 1.8 cm, 2024, Photo Credit Simon Jarman

Caitlin Brown, 'Christopher', Acrylic paint on knitting, 59 x 55 cm, 2025, Photo Credit Simon Jarman

Lydia Bailie-Bellew, 'I’ve Gathered You Here', Oil paint on board, 90 x 70 cm, 2025, Photo Credit Simon Jarman

Olivia Moore, 'To/From' - detail, Postcards, Dimensions variable, 2025, Photo Credit Simon Jarman

Rebecca Low, 'Uplift 1', Photographic print on fabric, 73 x 110 cm, 2024, Photo Credit Simon Jarman

Fletcher McClelland, 'Paradisiacal', Photographic print, 23 x 126 cm, 2025, Photo Credit Simon Jarman

Sofia D’Aubert-Phillips, 'Collective/Solitude' - detail, Embossed Magnani paper, cotton thread, aluminium rod, Indefinite x 23cm, 2025, Photo Credit Simon Jarman

Gallery view, Caitlin Brown 'Christopher', Olivia Moore 'To/From', Lydia Bailie-Bellew 'I’ve Gathered You Here', Sofia D’Aubert-Phillips 'Collective/Solitude', Rebecca Low 'Uplift 1', Photo credit Rebecca Low

Gallery view, Sierra Bright 'Ārai' - detail, Harakeke and tī kōuka twine, paper beads, 200 x 90 cm, 2025, Photo Credit Rebecca Low

The Artists

Rebecca Brown – Ōtautahi
3rd year, Painting, Ilam
@rebeccab_art

Charlie Campbell – Ōtautahi
3rd year, Painting, Ilam

Tommy Grick – Ōtautahi
3rd year, Painting, Ilam

Sophie Brown – Ōtautahi
3rd year, Sculpture, Ilam

Vivien Silver-Hessey – Ōtautahi
3rd year, Painting, Ilam
@vivsilver.art

Rata Jamieson – Ōtautahi
3rd year, Moving Image, Ilam
@chicory.sugar
@uc.fitz

Jack Freeman (collab with Emma Young) – Ōtautahi
3rd year, Design, Ilam
@jackkfreemann
@bysnail.design

Emma Foung (collab with Jack Freeman) – Ōtautahi
3rd year, Design, Ilam
@bysnail.design

Fletcher McClelland – Ōtautahi
3rd year, Photography, Ilam
@fletch_mmcc

Robbie Poon – Ōtautahi
3rd Year, Painting, Ilam
@ms_paint___

Vienna Nunns – Ōtautahi
3rd year, Sculpture, Ilam
@viennarose_art

Lydia Bailie-Bellew – Ōtautahi
3rd Year, Painting, Ilam
@lydia.bb.art

Xinran Yu – Ōtautahi
3rd year, Sculpture, Ilam
@catty_lake.x

Kane Vangioni – Ōtautahi
3rd year, Sculpture, Ilam
@ipodworm

Gabrielle Carlile-Smith – Ōtautahi
3rd Year, Painting, Ilam
@art_by_gabrielle

George French – Ōtautahi
3rd year, Painting, Ilam
@gf.fine.arts

Imogen Lovell – Ōtautahi
3rd year, Painting, Ilam
@imogenlovellart

CJ Maglaqui – Ōtautahi
3rd year, Moving Image, Ilam
@cchhrryyssttoo

Olivia Moore – Ōtautahi
3rd year, Photography, Ilam
@loovilens

Jack Banks – Ōtautahi
3rd year, Moving Image, Ilam
@the_art_bank_

Sierra Bright – Ōtautahi
3rd year, ARA, Applied Visual Arts
@ulovessierra
@sardonic.scorpio

Mackenzie Tait – Ōtautahi
3rd year, ARA, Applied Visual Arts
@_mac_kenzie1

Adrian Grey-Bell – Ōtautahi
3rd year, ARA, Applied Visual Arts
@chronicplanomania

Hannah Dent – Ōtautahi
3rd year, ARA, Applied Visual Arts
@swampwitchcreations

Emily Hickling – Ōtautahi
3rd year, ARA, Applied Visual Arts

Hayley Morrison – Ōtautahi
3rd year, ARA, Applied Visual Arts
@andromedagalaxyfangirl

Heather Reid van Gerwen – Ōtautahi
3rd year, ARA, Applied Visual Arts
@heathermarigold

Sofia D’Aubert- Phillips – Ōtautahi
3rd year, ARA, Applied Visual Arts
@sofia_daubertphillips

Amy Carpenter – Ōtautahi
3rd year, ARA, Applied Visual Arts
@amy_rifka

Caitlin Brown – Ōtautahi
3rd year, ARA, Applied Visual Arts
@grimey.goblin

Lydia Iosefo – Ōtautahi
3rd year, ARA, Applied Visual Arts

Karla Hawthorne – Ōtautahi
3rd year, ARA, Applied Visual Arts
@k.m.hawthorne

Lauren Willet-Hall – Ōtautahi
3rd year, ARA, Applied Visual Arts

Eliza Ward – Ōtautahi
3rd year, ARA, Applied Visual Arts
@eliizaward

Rebecca Low – Ōtautahi
3rd year, ARA, Lens Based Media
@summerhillbec

Simon Jarman – Ōtautahi
3rd year, ARA, Lens Based Media

Cam Robinson – Ōtautahi
3rd year, ARA, Lens Based Media
@composedlight

Mieke Mulder – Ōtautahi
3rd year, ARA, Lens Based Media
@miekemphotography

William Wills – Ōtautahi
3rd year, ARA, Lens Based Media
@WilliamWillsPhotography

Murphy Robinson – Ōtautahi
3rd year, ARA, Lens Based Media
@photographywithmurph

Student Group Show

Whakawhanaungatanga means the process of building and sustaining those multi-layered, flexible, and dynamic relationships and forms the foundation of our communities.

The Artists

Exhibition Details

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