Her exhibition, "Ocean Oracles and Odysseys", an exploration of narratives and journeys from Te Moana Ranatiki (Atlantic) to Moana-nui-a-kiwa (Pacific Ocean) through kelp, opened at the Forrester Gallery last Saturday.
Lofley said the exhibition referenced ocean realities and possibilities, including her own ancestral journey from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean.
"Kelp, as a creative medium, presents an opportunity to investigate the ocean as a metaphor for the subconscious, the search for knowledge, and the deep unknown.
"My ancestors arrived in Aotearoa from the North Atlantic and Norwegian Sea regions under the auspices of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. They travelled vast oceans with their few possessions and stories.
"Crossing oceans is a personal and ancestral reality of being here, so the installation navigates notions of belonging and estrangement."
Originally from the Kapiti Coast, Lofley runs The Kelpery, which uses beach-cast kelp to mould, shape, weave and knit objects.
Seaweed, including kelp, had been a fascination since childhood summers, leaping over salty clumps hardened in the sun, she said.
Lofley said the art was also a homage to kelp forests and ocean eco-systems, and the profound role they played in the planet’s health.
"Kelp and other macroalgae are part of the climate change solutions — kelp forests are an essential habitat for seals, penguins, fish and other ocean life,"she said.
Lofly, who has a master of arts in creative writing from the International Institute of Modern Letters (IIML) at Victoria University in Wellington Te Herenga Waka, said her art practice was grounded in narrative and language.
"Using kelp as a creative medium presents a fresh approach to storytelling, a story told in artefact without words, exposing a cast of characters from mythical depths."
With funding from Creative New Zealand for Creative Communities, Lofley acknowledges Te Runanga o Moeraki as tangata whenua (people of the land), where she gathers kelp.
"I contribute to kaitiakitaka [guardianship and protection] of coast and ocean by picking up human rubbish and only using beach-cast-kelp," she said.
Passionate about kelp, Lofley is also involved in New Zealand curriculum-based school learning experiences (early years to senior secondary school) that include kelp craft, to raise awareness about kelp and the marine neighbourhood with a focus on the kelp ecosystem and conservation.
The school-based kelp craft programmes start this month,the first at Kakanui School.
Ocean Oracles and Odysseys runs until December 7.
Forrester Gallery also showcases artist Martin Horspool’s debut photography exhibition Urban Street Style.
The exhibition opened last weekend.Fifty-five black and white photos feature in the show, where Horspool, also known locally as that "Buggyrobot guy" has captured his unique and colourful subjects unaware of his quiet presence.
He said the debut show was "very exciting".
"To be in the Forrester gallery, it’s great," he said.
Horspool held an artist talk last Sunday to share insights to urban street photography which was followed by his two-piece rock and punk band, with influences of ’70s glam rock, punk, rockabilly and garage, GY-RO (a take on letters from his business Buggyrobot) playing live in the main gallery.
Urban Street Style will run until November 16.
