Collection: Jennifer Halli

Jennifer Halli Lives and works in New Plymouth, Aotearoa New Zealand and New Bedford, Massachusetts. Halli holds a MFA in Artistry, from the University of Massachusetts

Kāwhia Series - Artist Statement:

This wood prints had been produced in Kāwhia in March 2020, as Aotearoa New Zealand was being introduced to a four level Covid-19 alert system – we were currently in Level 2 and in 48 hours, would shift to Level 4.

For months, I continued to work on a series of woodblock prints I started over the 33 days of Level 4 from a town that felt desolate under the current conditions, finding imagery in the evidence of community and humanity.

I took photographs of Kāwhia wharf, boat launch, moorings, concrete sea walls, public spaces, neighbourhood fences and historic sites. 

I collected the fine-grained black iron sand from the harbour and iron-rich clays from the beach to create prints that focus on the qualities of raw materials and connection to place and people.