Otago daily times

Zehavit Darlington with some of the Alice in Wonderland-themed ceramic pieces at the Macandrew Bay Community Hall. PHOTO: GERARD O'BRIEN
Off with their heads, indeed. In Zehavit Darlington's world of ceramics, life can imitate art, writes Shane Gilchrist

 

A little bit of magic took place at Macandrew Bay Hall last week. 

Dunedin-based ceramic artist Zehavit Darlington's two-hour exhibition, Alice: an existential hikoi, will now have been disassembled and more than 200 individual pieces heading to the homes of the many children who were instrumental in their creation. 

The exhibition continued the evolution of Darlington's year-long project, a series of figurative ceramic works based on Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Darlington completed a Mad Hatter as well as some mushrooms and carp for the exhibition last Friday. However, the artist plans to reconfigure aspects of the installation at a later date. 

''Some of the works I've produced are coming with me to Christchurch for an art residency at the end of October before they will be placed permanently at the Macandrew Bay Library.'' 

Darlington is referring to the inaugural Doris Lusk Residency, an award organised between the Dunedin School of Art Foundation and Risingholme Community College in Christchurch, which last year marked its 70th anniversary. 

About 200 children (the majority from Macandrew Bay School, about 20 from Grant's Braes School and several from Broad Bay School) produced small-scale ceramic figurines, the interpretations of which varied widely. 

''There's quite a difference between what a 5-year-old will do and what a 10-year-old produces,'' Darlington says. 

In an example of life imitating art, she had to glue more than a few items back together. Off with their heads, indeed.

Email me when new posts are made to this blog

Outstanding Food Producer Awards - Finalist

Written by on April 3rd, 2020.      0 comments

The Ballance Farm Environment Awards recognise and celebrate good farm practices that promote sustainable land management. This is done via an annual awards programme that is run in 11 regions throughout New Zealand.
 

Outstanding Food Producer Awards

Written by on April 3rd, 2020.      0 comments

This beautiful magazine will inspire you to cook and eat good food – each issue is packed with seasonal recipes for everything from a dinner party with friends to casual dining during the week, accompanied by handy tips on techniques and ingredients.
 

Outstanding Food Producer Awards - Gold

Written by on April 3rd, 2020.      0 comments

These awards celebrating Kiwis who harvest, grow and make food and drinks – were first held in 2017. Over two years of the awards a team of specialist judges have assessed almost 350 products, awarding 130 products with an Outstanding NZ Food Producer Award.