A fixture in the Dunedin arts scene, Motoko Kikkawa's work is being celebrated in her first solo commissioned exhibition.
The exhibition at Blue Oyster Art Project Space will combine her many talents, including painting and music.
Blue Oyster departing director Chloe Geoghegan said Kikkawa was often in the background of many shows and experimental sound events.
''She's always up for collaborations musically and artistically. In my opinion she is one of Dunedin's hardest-working artists.''
Kikkawa, who moved from Tokyo to New Zealand in 2004, was often in her Allbell Chambers studio working away at her latest project whether it be sound, performance, improvisation, drawing, ceramics, textiles, paper, sculpture or photography.
Her work has often been shown in group shows at the gallery.
So Geoghegan thought a solo exhibition of Kikkawa's work would be a great way to end her tenure at the Blue Oyster and start off 2017, especially after her work was accepted by Artspace in Auckland for exhibition.
While shows of artists' work often contained work they had done over the years, they decided to showcase Kikkawa's latest art practice using watercolours and fine line work.
''They are so delicate and contemporary yet with a traditional feel.''
But given Kikkawa's penchant for the different and challenging they decided to increase the size of the works from about A4-A3 size to large 2m-long boards.
''We bought the MDF and a bucket of paint and she went to it.''
The size of the works meant they could not fit in her studio so Kikkawa has been working out of the gallery's back room during the summer.
After putting splashes of watercolour on in vibrant colours such as pink and yellow she uses a very fine ink brush to create detailed lines.
Kikkawa said the works were a development from her attempts to learn Chinese calligraphy.
''But it didn't look like a drawing or a picture.''
One of the works she has completed was inspired by the New Year fireworks she saw while still working on it.
Kikkawa will combine her art and music - she is a violin player - with her exhibition.
At the opening she will collaborate with some of the musicians she has worked with over the years, only she will be blindfolded and not know who they are. She will also hold a second ''blind jam''.
''They're going to improvise.''
During the exhibition, the gallery's second space will have a rotating schedule of short films and sound works by Kikkawa dating from yesterday back to 2012.
Geoghegan said one of the Blue Oyster's goals was to elevate a local practitioner's work and celebrate it with their peers and give it an audience so Kikkawa's exhibition fitted the bill.
To see
‘‘Shortsighted Girl’s Very Thick Wall’’, Motoko Kikkawa, Blue Oyster Art Project Space from February 1 to March 4.
Blind Jam #2: Saturday, February 25, 3pm-4pm
