Tauranga Art Gallery - Toi Tauranga

Tracey Williams' voyage through the history of Tauranga Moana - 22 Oct 2009

Artist Tracey Williams grew up in the Bay of Plenty, attending Tauranga Girls’ College where she was taught art by Tauranga Art Gallery’s education manager, Grant Thompson.

She now acknowledges she grew up surrounded by a rich and diverse history she did not appreciate until she undertook research for her installation currently at the Gallery, My Ship / Tënei Wakahëra.

Williams will hold a floortalk on her work at 3pm, Saturday 31 October, at the Gallery, which will be followed by an artist’s reception.

In this multi-media installation, with her custom built ship decked with fabrics and women’s craftwork, its rainbow ladders and moving galaxies, Williams asks the viewer to reconsider how we have perceived the history of Tauranga Moana.

“I wanted to unpack the historical narratives of Tauranga Moana, with particular respect to women, who until recently, rarely made it to the history books,” says Williams.

“No two people’s history is the same. My Ship is a poetic story about the journeys, the hopes and emotions of all those who helped to get us where we are now, but were not acknowledged in recorded history.”

Williams currently teaches at the University of Auckland’s Elam School of Fine Art.

My Ship / Tënei Wakahëra can be viewed at the Gallery until March 2010.