Keren Florence
Bio
Born in Gisborne, from Gisborne, living in Gisborne. I am a business owner, a retired teacher, an artist exploring my world and my Identity through ceramics.
Description
Limpets – Ceramic wall art
Along with our people, our Kaimoana is struggling and showing scars due to the vast damage to our precious moana and waterways.
Made from clay, uku, earth and silt these clay limpets represent a sense of community. Clean water is essential for our well being, likewise for the limpet. Yet water as a destructive force is so so detrimental. Our people clung to life much like the limpet to the rock. Clinging for their lives, clinging to each other, clinging to hope, hanging out for change - a change in tide.
‘A cup of Tea and a Korero’ – Ceramic rain chain
This ‘Rain chain’ represents the Connectedness yet disconnectedness of our communities throughout cyclone Gabrielle and continued adverse weather events.
Your report quotes the importance of taking time to stop and listen – ‘A Cup of tea and a Korero’ . These small clay cups are linked together. There is support in the linked chains yet also fragility as they lie in balance. The filling of the cups emphasize the importance of self care, taking time to recharge, supporting one another and replenishing our mental, emotional and physical self. The rain chain cups try to disperse the heavy water load aiding the water to flow and trickle to the ground rather than dump with destructive force lessening the stress & anxiety felt every time it rains.
Each cup is made up of our uku, our earth, added silt and slurry. Each cup has words stamped into their surface. Some words have been borrowed from Hone Tuwhare’s poem ‘Rain’, others are the words of our people, spoken over a cup of Tea and a Korero.
Social - @kerenflorrieceramics
Contact - kerenflorrie@xtra.co.nz
Link to research
Piece 1 - Made from clay, uku, earth and silt these clay limpets represent a sense of community and the struggles experiences by our people and our kaimoana.
Piece 2 - I am also working on a rain chain representing the Connectedness yet disconnectedness of our communities throughout cyclone Gabrielle and continued adverse weather events. Your report quotes the importance of taking time to stop and listen – ‘Cup of tea and a Korero’ . I’m making small clay cups that will link together. There is support in the linked chains yet also fragility as they lie in balance.
