Pacific-themed art exhibition to open

A new exhibition of local artworks is going on show in the Rotorua Lakes Council Galleria that celebrates New Zealand's Pacific Ocean coastline.

The last Galleria exhibition for the year, it will be officially opened on Friday.

'Our Pacific' is a celebration of the vibrant colour of the Pacific Ocean and coastline and will feature 40 pieces from eight artists in a mix of paint, sculpture and mixed media, a council press release stated.

Te Awamutu-born local artist Debbie Thyne has 10 works featured and describes them as "both familiar and strange".

"These paintings express some of the diversity and colour that constitute the culture of Aotearoa. I have indulged in abstraction and representation to convey a cultural language," she said.

Thyne is a tutor of Art History and Design at Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology. She has a Master of Philosophy and Master of Fine Arts and holds a Bachelor of Arts-Social Science and a Certificate in Maori Studies.

"As an art tutor I remind students that their ideas cannot be separated from the cultural contexts that nurture them.

"I love the Galleria space. I think art belongs in community spaces rather than in "hallowed" galleries, and the Galleria is constantly traversed by people.

"I hope they will be enticed from the urgency of their civic duties to pause and to ponder the possibilities that these artworks offer."

The inspiration for 'Our Pacific' came from the upcoming summer when a lot of Kiwis will be spending time at the beach and was also in response to the local art community which submitted various Pacifica-themed works for the recent 'Colour in the Community' exhibition which did not all get shown.

All 40 artworks will be on sale. The council Galleria space is open to the public Monday to Friday from 8am to 4.30pm.

'Our Pacific' will be on display until the end of February 2017.