Nine Voices, Waikato presents nine contemporary artists from the Waikato region.

Nine Voices, Waikato 
3 December – 23 February 2025

The Arts House Trust – Morrinsville Gallery

Ahsin Ahsin

Alice Alva

Bridget Barnett

Jennie De Groot

Rachel Kiddie McClure

Cilla Kinnaird

Craig McClure

‘They Call Me Ninu’

Xavier Tapp

Nine Voices, Waikato presents nine contemporary artists from the Waikato region. Their recently created works on display are wall-based and of various media, including textile, painting, collage and drawing. The Arts House Trust (based in Tāmaki Makaurau) has a long-standing partnership with Morrinsville Gallery to hold regular exhibitions that highlight the Trust’s collection. This exhibition was conceived as a new project, to showcase non-collection work from the Waikato region. Many artists based in the Waikato were contacted, requesting expressions of interests and online portfolios. The resulting exhibition, Nine Voices, Waikato, provides a sample of the rich creativity we may encounter in the Waikato region.

There is a broad scope of expression and subject matter in Nine Voices, Waikato. Notably, we can observe qualities of playfulness and humour in several practices. The first two parts of Rachel Kiddie McClure’s cross-stitch triptych include phrases that appear witty, upon first reading. They raise the question:  Can these be likened to home décor plaques offering sayings such as ‘Home Sweet Home’? However, the third section of Rachel’s triptych make us re-consider our initial impressions, as it presents writing of a more personal nature. Ahsin Ahsin’s two paintings on display are from his Turbo Croc 2.0 series – an evolution of his seemingly cartoonish ‘Croc’ character, a half human/half crocodile hybrid. He developed his first ‘Croc in 2018, following research into amphora black-figure vase paintings (common in ancient Greek vases). These paintings result from a morph of various sources, including 80s and 90s sci-films and skate culture. Many of the artworks on display can be regarded as being process driven, presenting the creative act in specific media. There are paintings by Jennie De Groot, Cilla Kinnaird and Xavier Tapp, with their unique style and subject matter. Or for instance, Craig McClure’s large ink drawings, textiles by Alice Alva, Bridget Bartnett’s multimedia works, and digital collages by ‘They Call Me Ninu’.

Lastly, in summary – viewers will not encounter, or clearly recognise, the Waikato region in Nine Voices, Waikato. Rather, they may acknowledge the artists and communities who make our places special.
He tāngata, he tāngata, he tāngata: It is people, it is people, it is people