Hi there, my name is North Cowper. I'm a Bachelor of Fine Arts student at Whitecliffe College and am currently undergoing my second year of study.
Currently in my studio practice, I am exploring ideas surrounding people and the places that are held sacred to them. I'm intrigued by interconnectivity and how people can be united by the surroundings in their upbringing. In the piece shown below, I am exploring predominantly the places that contribute to my own sense of identity.
The mediums used are significant to understanding the work. These mediums include clay sourced locally, dirt from around Whitecliffe and black sand from Kariotahi Beach, Waiuku. These materials are very sacred to me, the dirt being from a place reflective of my passion, ambitions and learning, and the sand being from my favourite place- a beach in my hometown that I have visited since childhood. As well as these places are significant to my own identity, I acknowledge that they are sacred to those around me. We do not just live in a post code, we live in a community. Where we call home is more than just a place, but a commonality that unifies us.
This work was created not by hand, but by a spinning machine that I built.
