Ways of Being: Representation and photography from The Dowse Collection
Ngahuia Harrison, Kahu who is named by his grandfather, 2017. Collection of The Dowse Art Museum. Courtesy of the artist.
This exhibition brought together a selection of photographs collected by The Dowse between the 1980s and 2010s, to consider how representation in Aotearoa New Zealand is evolving alongside changes in our society.
Ways of Being included the work of six photographers who have used relationship building, collaboration and self-determination to delve deeper into peoples’ lives and highlight diverse cultural and social perspectives. Each artist places importance on taking time to gain the trust of the people represented in their images (physically and symbolically), so their stories can be shared.
Today, the increasing presence of smart phones and social media sees the photographic image more present in our lives than ever before, affecting how we represent ourselves and others. In our post truth era, where opinions can be shaped by in seconds, Ways of Being considers what can be learnt from slowing down and really looking.
The artists in Ways of Being are Andrew Ross, Bruce Connew, Glenn Jowitt, Mark Adams, Ngahuia Harrison and Rebecca Swan.
The Dowse Art Museum | 08 Dec 2018 – 28 Apr 2019