Peggy Ericson She Shed Scholarship winner tackles issues of confidence in self

Campion College head girl and Peggy Ericson She Shed Scholarship winner Lily Heuser with the work she will be submitting as part of her NCEA Year 13 art board. Pictures by Liam Clayton

Although self-doubt was a theme behind her work, the future is looking bright for Campion College student Lily Heuser who has just been awarded the Peggy Ericson She Shed Scholarship.

Her successful application was based on artworks created for her NCEA Year 13 art board.

Lily said she was thrilled to win the scholarship and be acknowledged as part of a new generation of female artists in Gisborne. She plans to use the scholarship, valued at $1000, towards her university costs next year.

Lily has been accepted to study fine arts at Victoria University with plans to do further study in film and theatre stage design once she completes her degree.

She was among a group of candidates put forward for selection by Campion College art teacher Matt King.

“My work is mostly about self doubt and expectations,” Lily said.

“As head girl there are lots of expectations which then lead to doubt and stress in fulfilling them. This then stops me from taking care of the thing that matters most — myself. I matter most because I am the only thing I know is real, an idea derived from the philosophy ‘I think therefore I am’. In the end the expectation, the doubt, stress and peer pressure doesn’t matter because there is no evidence any of it will be worth anything in life or death. This is why I have played with self portraits in my work, using lots of gold paint to symbolise the value of the self.”

Founding Shed Shed artist Holly Howman-Evans presented Lily with the scholarship certificate, congratulating her on her achievement.

“We are proud to be able to help another young up-and-coming female talent. That’s what the She Shed is all about — promoting and supporting female creatives,” Holly said.

Lily was also presented with tickets to this year’s She Shed Tour, the annual arts and garden tour featuring women artists and their spaces.

More than 30 artists will take part in this year’s tour at studios in Okitu and Wainui.

The She Shed Tour is in its ninth year and has raised money for a number of local charities in the past including Tairāwhiti Adventure Trust, Cystic Fibrosis, Mutts and Moggies and the Gisborne East Coast Cancer Society. This year the tour is supporting men’s mental health charity Hear4U.

“It has been such a hard year for our region and we want to raise as much money as possible for Hear4U which does really important work.

“We hope people get their tickets soon — it’s such an uplifting and wonderful day which is just what people need right now,” Holly said.

• Tickets can be purchased from The Aviary, Retro, The Ballance Street Book Shop and Hear4U.

•  SheShed Tour, Sunday, November 12, 9am-5pm.