Opening night 5:30PM 1 JUNE

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Ben Lysaght (Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Ranginui, Pakeha) is an artist living in Te Whanganui-a-Tara who works across a multiple of disciplines but primarily with paint. He is interested in the historical, emotional and institutional connections between plants and people.

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Are they sad? :( is a continuation of his oil painting practice while expanding into new modes of creation involving cameraless photography and sculpture. This exhibition considers the relationships between flora and those who tend to them, focusing on their impact on emotional wellness in the domestic space.

In a forest the plants communicate via their roots; while house plants are confined to their pots and planters, thus made lonely in their own little domestic ecosystems. Plants are often accumulated in the house as a way to engage with nature when a person’s living conditions may not allow traditional green spaces. Unfortunately there is an inherent irony within this particular way of engaging with nature, as the domestic plants have been severed from their connection with their natural ecosystem.

Join us for the opening night from 5.30pm on Wednesday 31st of May, and enjoy Ben's incredible work with some drinks and nibbles.

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The show will run from the 1st of June to the 17th.
Opening hours- Thursday to Saturday 11am - 2pm

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Poster design by Sam Butler