Taking a chance in offering her artwork to be used in the 5th annual Nepalese International Indigenous Film Festival has paid off for visual artist and AUT University postgraduate student Tanya Ruka.
She has been invited to both attend the festival in Kathmandu and run a workshop for art, photography and film students while she is there.
Having emailed the organisers in the hope that they could use her work in some form, Ruka says they responded by inviting her to run a workshop based on the art practice she has been developing.
Ruka has created a moving image projection art work and has been developing a stop motion process that uses oil paint.
The end result is a 3 projection time-based painting, entitled Tawhirimatea (God of the Wind).
Based on the concept of identity and heritage, the projection is a form of 3 light tukutuku panels (decorative wall panels) to represent Ruka’s ancestry.
The work is out of sync and continually moving, to represent the pull from her heritage which, she says, is continually in flux.
Digital turangawaewae
“I wanted to create a turangawaewae (place to stand) within my art practice, a digital turangawaewae that was portable and mobile, that could come with me wherever I go,” says Ruka.
Her indigenous heritage is the basis of her art practice, and it is for this reason that she is honoured to be part of this festival.
Organised by the Nepal-based Indigenous Film Archive (IFA), the Nepalese International Indigenous Film Festival was established to create a forum for interaction and dialogue between multicultural groups.
The IFA aims to support indigenous peoples and nationalities to conserve and promote their cultures, languages, religions, customs, traditions and wisdom. This year’s festival is dedicated to “the indomitable spirit of the indigenous woman”.
Ruka identifies strongly with this theme and it was the theme that prompted her to offer her work in the first place.
“I think NZ indigenous women are strong of spirit – you often hear the term Mana Wahine. I think it is a great opportunity to be able to connect with other indigenous women – learn from and build creative networks internationally,” she says.
Ruka is not the only AUT student who will have work featured - fellow postgraduate student Sophie Johnson has had her 12 minute documentary Makings of a Kaitiaki selected to screen during the festival.
Dean of AUT’s Faculty of Design and Creative Technologies Desna Jury acknowledges the success of both women and congratulates them and the staff who have supported and mentored them to succeed.
“I am very pleased that these two students have achieved this level of international success which will provide them with a window of opportunity into the future,” she says.
Both women will be attending the film festival on April 22-25 through support from AUT’s Faculty of Design and Creative Technologies.
“By enabling these students to participate at the festival they will join an international network of like-minded people and will forge relationships that will help them to build their work further,” says Jury.
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