Join us for an opening weekend kōrero with Carin Wilson and Steven Junil Park to discuss He maramara tupu aranga, a retrospective considering five decades of Wilson’s design practice, chaired by Objectspace deputy director Zoe Black.

Both Wilson and Park have a passion for making functional objects with materials found within our environment. This shared focus has informed the design of the exhibition, coming together as a collaboration between the two. Gain insights into this design process and the wider exhibition during this conversation, taking place on the shows first day open.

He maramara tupu aranga celebrates the legacy of Wilson’s mahi. It features remarkable pieces of furniture alongside ephemera illustrating a life spent in celebration of the joy of creativity, letting chips fly and seeing what takes form.

Get your $10 ticket to attend this morning talk with a coffee & croissant in hand.

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Carin Wilson (Mātaatua, Ngāti Awa, Tūhourangi) began making furniture in Ōtautahi Christchurch in the 1970s, after leaving law school to pursue a creative career. Since then, he has become a pivotal figure in New Zealand’s creative landscape, particularly advocating for Māori participation in design and urban development. He was a leader in the country’s craft movement in the 1970s, 80s and 90s, promoting dynamic discussion towards defining an aesthetic reflective of Aotearoa and advocating for the value of craft practice. Alongside his furniture making, Wilson has exhibited sculpture extensively, has taught at tertiary institutions and is founder and director of Studio Pasifika, a multidisciplinary design and architecture studio. Wilson has also held a number of leadership positions across institutions, including as founding member and inaugural chair of Ngā Aho: Network of Māori Design Professionals, president of the Designers Institute (1991–93) and president of the Crafts Council of New Zealand (1982–85).

Steven Junil Park is a multi-disciplinary artist based in Ōtautahi Christchurch, working under the name 6x4. Under this label he produces all manner of functional objects with a focus on clothing and textiles. These one-off pieces feature recycled, repurposed, or vintage materials; valuing resourcefulness and the memory of materials. As a queer, Korean-born New Zealander he explores identity and selfhood through his practice. His work is a language for things that he cannot articulate otherwise, connecting to the intangible and indefinable.

Zoe Black (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Hine, Pākehā) is the deputy director of Objectspace. She works across curatorial programming, community and international development, and programme delivery. Black’s curatorial practice centres community development and advocating for critically under-represented making and object art forms.

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Coffee & Croissants is a conversation series supported by our friends at Allpress Espresso and Daily Bread.