The project was born out of Chris’ desire to return to Kiribati, to meet his family and to experience life on these tiny strips of atoll in the Pacific. Always with a camera in hand, Jeff was there to capture much of the journey. The exhibition is not only a personal story about family but one that also references the larger global issues of climate change, over-population and threats to traditional cultures. 

About: 

Chris Charteris has been a prolific maker of jewellery as well as sculpture since the mid-1980s. His practice has been influenced by his early training as a carver. Of Kiribati and Fijian heritage, Polynesian forms, traditional tools, ceremonial objects, patterns, taonga and body adornment are a natural source of contemplation and design. With a growing international profile, Chris’s work can be found in a number of public and private collections, including Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, The Dowse Art Museum, the British Museum and the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Cambridge. Jeff Smith is an award-winning director, designer, filmmaker, 3D animator and musician based in Auckland.