New: Interview with Erica van Zon

Author: Courtney Johnston, Director

Erica van Zon is one of 6 Wellington artists featured in our new exhibition Solo 2016. Victoria Wynne-Jones has interviewed Erica about honouring women, working with materials that she initially dislikes, and iconic early New Zealand art dealer Helen Hitchings.  

Erica van Zon, 'Coffee Perhaps', part of SOLO 2016. Courtesy of the artist and Melanie Roger Gallery

For her installation in Solo 2016 Erica van Zon has created an immersive homage to early Wellington art dealer Helen Hitchings. In a new interview with Victoria Wynne-Jones Erica talks about the process of researching Hitchings' life and transporting viewers back in time:

Specifically, looking at the Helen Hitchings project, which is all about honouring, I am trying to re-create quite a few aspects of HH, her gallery and her life. I've been working on representing the world that we both inhabit, the confluence of art, craft and design on a domestic scale, and honouring women artists within this. HH was a great feminist! This project is a celebration of what Judy Darragh calls ‘Feminine Technology’.

This is the first in a series of artist features The Dowse is collaborating with The Pantograph Punch on in the coming year. You can read the full interview and see more images on the Pantograph Punch website.