Dion Hitchens

On Tuesday we had Dion Hitchens come in to our class to show us and explain his art work and practices. Although he was only in class for an hour, one of his artworks that I found really interesting was the maunga artwork that is displayed in Manukau. He talked about how he had built the monument in his back yard making it out of stainless steel and had to use a crane to move it from his backyard to Manukau. The thing that I find interesting about that particular piece of artwork is that I’ve always known about the sculpture and I always see it at Manukau every time I’m there but now I actually no who created it “Dion Hitchens” and it amazes me because he is currently my lecture for sculpture and so every time i see him i no that he created this sculpture. He talked about how the image of his sculpture was inspired by this mountain in Tahiti called maunga and also how Auckland city is where the largest population of Polynesians Live, and so now not only do I no who created it but I also no about the significance backround of why this sculpture had being created the way that it was.

Being Maori /Asian he talked about how his practices are based around his culture. also in one of his artworks he says that even though he loves his Maori culture and background his religious faith comes from his Asian descent being of Buddhist faith.

For collaberation one of his artworks that I also found interesting was the “Tiki Wanaga” which was a sculpture that is currently hung up at the Onehunga community centre and library. For this artwork he collaborated with Charles Koroneho , Each piece of Sculpture is made from aluminium and lashed with fibreoptic cable that lights up in blue and white. His sculpture was inspired by traditional Maori objects used by Priests to obtain Knowledge, it also represented the combination of traditional Maori art and new technologies