"The last maybe 20 years has really been about discovering who Jody is. Where does Jody come from? I'm now 51 with five children and six grandchildren so it was really about answering those questions."
Edmonds grew up not knowing much about her whakapapa, due to colonisation and indoctrination.
She said as a Māori woman growing up in an era of absolutes and experiencing assimilation, urbanisation and dysfunction led to struggle.
Through her paintings, Edmonds explores her connection to the awa (river) as a Māori woman and her whole connection and whakapapa back to creation itself.
On one wall at Orphic sits five of her new pieces, each representing one of her children.
"When you tap into your kids, you get to know them," she said.
"The paintings are different because they're an expression of how I know them. They all speak to themselves."
Edmonds was drawn to blues, greens and purples. This was apparent in her deep rich paintings, some having up to 20 layers of paint in her process of trial and error.
"It was really just creating that feeling of how as a mother you give birth and create life, and how creation itself does that for us."
Edmonds moved to Whanganui from Diamond Harbour in Christchurch when her daughter had her first child. She came for the birth of her grandson and hasn't left.
Since then she has completed four years of studying her bachelor of arts at UCOL, finally having the opportunity to tap into her creative streak.
"At the end of the day, joy always finds us in the morning through creation," Edmonds said.
This weekend is the final chance to see Edmonds' first solo exhibition at Orphic Gallery in Drews Ave.
For more information on Edmonds' art, email the gallery at theorphicgallery@gmail.com.
