The exhibition is an observation of many memories and changes that have occurred since my time of arriving here. The years capture printed portraits of extended family, friends, and members within not only our community but the wider Pacific.
Opening Speakers:
Pa Ariki, Paramount Cheif, Takitumu, Rarotonga
Kay George, Exhibiting Artist
Kay George is a senior New Zealand and Pacific artist whose multidisciplinary practice spans four decades, shaped by her lived experience between New Zealand and the Cook Islands. Embedded within a Pacific context, her work critically engages with the shifting social, political, and environmental landscapes of the region, offering a nuanced perspective informed by direct observation and artistic inquiry.
George’s extensive body of work—encompassing textiles, painting, collage, installation, and photography—serves as both a documentation and an interrogation of cultural identity, migration, and the evolving dynamics of post-colonial Pacific societies. Her practice is deeply interwoven with the fabric of daily life in the Cook Islands, reflecting the intersection of indigenous heritage, contemporary influences, and the enduring impact of New Zealand’s historical and political relationship with the Pacific.
Throughout her career, George has developed a distinctive visual language characterized by rich layers of color and intricate compositional structures, evoking the complexities of communal and environmental flux. Her work often explores the tension between tradition and modernity, addressing the resilience and adaptation of Pacific communities in response to external forces. Thematically, her practice resonates with broader global conversations on diaspora, sustainability, and cultural preservation.
Her artistic contributions have been widely recognized through exhibitions and workshops across the Pacific and beyond, with notable presentations in Rarotonga, New Zealand, France, the United States, Australia, and New Caledonia. Through these engagements, George continues to foster cross-cultural dialogue, positioning Pacific art within an expanded international discourse while remaining deeply committed to the local narratives that define her practice.
