Auckland-based artist Bev Moon (b. 1968, Wellington, New Zealand) delves into cultural constructs through drawing, sculpture, painting, and textiles. Of Seyip, Cantonese, and Taishanese descent, Moon's great-grandfathers arrived in New Zealand during the 1880s gold rush, enduring the challenges imposed by the discriminatory poll tax. Her mother and grandmother were among the 500 Chinese women and children granted temporary refuge in New Zealand during World War II to escape the Japanese invasion.
Moon's art pays homage to her ancestors' courage and resilience while reflecting on her own experiences with societal, cultural, and material expectations. Her practice is driven by narrative frameworks, meticulous craftsmanship, and a dedication to contextualizing previously unspoken histories. Her works are held in public and private collections across Aotearoa and internationally.
A notable work is her installation "Fortune," a knitted yum cha banquet created during the 2021 lockdown as a tribute to her mother and grandmother, both skilled cooks and knitters. This exhibition has toured various public galleries and museums in New Zealand, including the Hocken Collections in Dunedin and the Waikato Museum in Hamilton.
In addition to solo exhibitions, Moon has participated in group shows such as "A Place to Call Home: Contemporary New Zealand Asian Art" (2023) and "Belonging: Stories of Contemporary New Zealand Asian Artists" (2024) at Bergman Gallery in Auckland.
Through her art, Moon educates audiences about the Chinese poll tax and the experiences of early Chinese settlers in New Zealand, fostering a deeper understanding of this aspect of the nation's history.