Whakapapa quilting workshop with Ron Te Kawa.

Sunday 15. October kl. 12 - 17, Søndre Green gård

We repeat the success from September and arrange another quilting workshop at AiR Green, Søndre Green farm.

• Lunch included NOK 400.

• Bring a sewing machine and some materials

• Just 1.5 hours by car from Oslo

You sign up by sending an email to keffe4@gmail.com

Ron Te Kawa is staying at AIr Green Studio until 19 October.

Maungarongo (Ron) Te Kawa (Ngāti Porou) has been working prolifically in fashion, art, community and education in Aotearoa New Zealand for the past three decades. Ron is well-known for create large-scale quilts illustrating Māori world views, his family history and Māori cultural knowledge. Alongside being an artist he is also a Māori educator, working for his iwi (tribal group), Ngāti Porou and other communities across Aotearoa. Using sewing as a conduit to connect with people, he expertly guides workshop participants to confidently create with fabric and express their genealogy through sewing.

Ron Te Kawa at NITJA

On 21 September, a talk will be held at the NITJA center for contemporary art about Ron Te Kawa and his exhibition there.

The conversation is about art, culture and myths

How are the symbols of different cultures expressed in ornamentation and the use of materials, and how have myths and stories been conveyed through art, handicrafts and the oral tradition? These are some of the themes we delve into, when in tonight's edition of Nitja conversations we look more closely at art and handicrafts as carriers of history and narrators, and visual representations of different cultures' mythologies.

The conversation starts with Ron Te Kawa's exhibition currently on display in Nitja, where exploration of Maori knowledge, the artist's own family tree and ancestors, and female deities in Maori belief are the starting point for his textile works.

The evening's panel consists of:

Georgiana Keable Jerstad is a narrator and founder of Fortellerhuset in Oslo, where she focuses on communicating stories across cultures and languages.

Ragnhild M. Bø is senior lecturer in art history at the University of Oslo. In his work, Bø focuses on the use of images in the Middle Ages, especially materiality and ornamentation in a Christian context.

Jens Erland Braarvig is professor emeritus in the history of religion and one of the main editors for the book series The World's Holy Scriptures from The Norwegian Book Club. Braarvig is the moderator of the conversation.

The event is open to all interested parties, and participation is included in the entrance ticket (NOK 40/20), Nitja year card or Nitja friend card.

Nitja conversations are based on the exhibition programme, where relevant topics are brought up to date through conversation and debate. The conversation series is supported by Fritt Ord

Facebook event

Love, colour, and joy comes together in Ron Te Kawa’s vibrant exhibition Te Whare Pora currently on view at Nitja! In a filmed interview recently published at Objectspace, Ron Te Kawa shares his thoughts on his new works, his relationship to his whakapapa (ancestors), the goddess Hinateiwaiwa, and lots more.

Make sure to check it out – watch the full video on Objectspace’s website journal! https://www.objectspace.org.nz/journal/

Photo/video: Seb Charles / Season Aotearoa

From Facebook post at NITJA.

Awarded prize to Damien Ajavon

Damien Ajavon has been awarded the Norwegian Art Association's debutante prize 2023

Damien Ajavon received the Norwegian Art Association's debutante prize 2023 for the textile work PROTECTION OF RELICS (Black Craft Matter) (2023).

The work PROTECTION OF RELICS was created during his stay at Søndre Green in 2022 and 2023. He was one of the participants at Air Green in autumn 2022 and in spring 2023 he had a residency at Studio AiR Green. He was also a festival artist at the MINI festival in spring 2023.

The award was announced at the opening of the State's 136th Art Exhibition – The Autumn Exhibition at Kunstnernes hus in Oslo.

In the justification, the jury writes: This year's debutant convinced the jury with a monumental textile work that takes us into a personal and at the same time universal story of identity and cultural heritage.

Hearty congratulations from AIR Green on the award, Damien Ajavon. We are so proud and happy to be able to help and support his art.

– I was in shock and couldn’t believe that I won. I felt so honored and humbled. Winning the debutant prize recognizes my hard work and dedication to my craft. It also means that my work is being seen and appreciated by others. This is a huge motivator for me to continue creating and pushing myself to improve,

– I want to thank everyone who has supported me, especially my Mom, Kristin Lindberg, and my friends. I would also like to thank the jury for choosing my work. I am excited to continue my journey as a craft-maker. I hope to one day make a meaningful contribution to the art world.

Damien Ajavon, September 2023

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