Art helps link variety of cultures as area changes

Uxbridge curator Balamohan Shingade with the work of multicultural artist Tiffany Singh. Picture / Jason Oxenham

Among the remnants of the colonial-style villas and church buildings in the historic Auckland suburb of Howick can be found an Asian supermarket, Thai and Indian restaurants and a culturally inspired art exhibition.

Further afield, in Flat Bush, are more signs of this evolving culture, with the Fo Guang Yuan Buddhist temple, tea house and art gallery.

Balamohan Shingade, manager and curator at Howick's Uxbridge Malcolm Smith Gallery, said the once-traditional village was becoming more diverse. "The businesses and their patrons are not as Euro-centric as it would have been."

He said the Flat Bush temple pointed to the strong "Asian population" in the area.

Mr Shingade said there was a good working relationship with the temple that enabled a mixing of cultures and interests among the population.

One example he cited was the current exhibition by Tiffany Singh, an artist of Indian, Pakeha, Samoan and Maori ancestry, who is interested in Buddhist ideology.

She had a number of installation pieces at the Fo Guang Yuan Art Gallery at the temple as well as at the Howick-based art gallery.

Her exhibition, Mahbhta, a Sanskrit term translating to "the great natural element", is designed to bring together the diverse people of Owairoa-Howick.

Mr Shingade said art could facilitate understanding between cultures.

Uxbridge Arts and Culture Centre director Vickie Bowers said there was a growing awareness of the increasing Asian population in the area and the need to service this better.

Already on the centre's list of classes, events and tutoring are a number of happenings reflective of this evolution towards a greater ethnic diversity.