The country of China is extremely relevant to my art practice. Its culture and character seem very different from our own, yet it is where so many of the possessions we use to define ourselves are made. China is the source of so much; it is where many trends begin, its industry informing much of the consumerist culture throughout the West.

Ideas around the toy, the disposable plastic item, collection, reproduction and authenticity underpin my research. I obsessively collect, assemble, photograph and paint from found objects that are predominantly manufactured in China. Such objects convey a strong power of association – they exist as mass produced items, yet can simultaneously become precious and personal to the owner. How then would the value I place on these items change based on my location and perception of place? The Wellington Asia Residency Exchange at CEAC in Xiamen will provide the perfect opportunity for me to examine my own perspective on these plastic source objects from a different vantage point; the country of production. I believe my work simultaneously looks critically and celebratory upon plasticized, consumerist culture and it will be very significant to learn from a Chinese perspective, to gain insight into their attitudes towards consumerism and authenticity which will in turn expose my own ingrained, Western viewpoint.

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