WYF: Where You From?

Fresh One Collective has partnered with The Creative Souls Project, Whau the People, Creative New Zealand and Te Uru to bring a contemporary, young and, of course, a FRESH approach on how artist collectives interact with gallery spaces that do not necessarily always represent them.

The exhibition title WYF: Where You From draws on the way young people abbreviate text, as well as mimic slang, juxtaposed in a more formal gallery space. “Where you from?” is also a common question asked when people meet, often resulting in conflicting responses depending on how individuals interpret where they come from, whether ethnically via migration, ancestral land connections, or simply their suburb. WYF searches for insight into personal experiences of home; how our homes shape us, politicise us and creates us.

WYF features 10 young artists working in photography, sculpture, painting, design, video and installation. The artists hail from around West and South Auckland and bring collective and individual experiences of place. Exhibition curators Paulina Bentley and Hulita Koloi intend visitors to engage with the stories behind the artworks, and voices from the next generation of artists in Auckland. WYF promotes the diverse views and backgrounds that co-exist and will progress the art world into a more inclusive space for both established and emerging young artists.

WYF has been generously supported by Creative New Zealand’s Toi Rangatahi Engagement Fund.

Fresh One will be taking over Te Uru’s Instagram during the first 2 weeks of the exhibition. Each day a different member of the collective will respond to what ‘home’ means, and how the idea of home has shifted since the lock down.

11 July - 13 September 2020