Art with a conscience is Tiffany Singh's passion. We find out what else the artist is into.
Artist Tiffany Singh will offer a free and interactive artwork as part of the Auckland Fringe, which begins in Auckland this Friday. Singh's piece is a collaboration with Aucklanders, where she and the public will make sets of communual prayer flags. Called The Way Of Alaya, the work aims to portray the "dreams and ideas of a collective voice". They will be displayed in Myers Park, with more added throughout the festival; an ever-evolving artwork that reflects Singh's penchant for social responsibility in her practice. The Elam graduate has spent time volunteering and studying in India and Nepal - which is reflected in some of her favourite things.
* Way Of Alaya will be at Fringe in the Park at Myers Park this Saturday from 2pm-6pm, then at various locations around the city including Art Station, Albert Park and the Mangere Markets until March 13.
10 FAVOURITE THINGS
1. Japanese tea set
My antique Japanese tea set, given to me for my 30th birthday, matches my altar table and is like looking into a series of beautifully hand-painted miniature worlds. The lacquer black with gold paint is so deliciously detailed it almost makes me feel like I am sitting on one of the mountains myself.
2. Antique fabrics
A selection of antique fabrics I have collected in my travels through Central and South America and Asia. Some of the fabrics are typical of the Gujarati style of embroidery, which was where I worked for the agency Indicorps, creating women's empowerment collectives for the sale of their handicrafts. It is the wrap made by these women and the antique sari from the markets in Ahmedabad Gujarat that are my dearest.
3. Tara
After every year in India I had to go to Nepal to renew my visa, so Nepal is a special place for me. It is also where I studied Buddhism. This bronze Tara was found in Kathmandu after many hours of searching. The artist who made it decorated it with small jewels as we had tea. I carried it in my backpack for another 18 months before making it back to New Zealand.
4. Sumi ink brushes
Sumi ink brushes, made from horses' hair, claw and bone, sit pride of place on what I call my "witches table", with my collection of wands, crystals and skulls. A red one was gifted to me by my greatest mentor, Max Gimblett. It is a reminder to trust my intuition always.
5. Deco glass collection
Collected from all over New Zealand, mostly from the 50s and 60s period. There is something about glass I aspire to - the fragility, the fluidity of the medium, and the way the colour plays with the light is truly stunning. It's a medium I have always been drawn to and would one day like to work with.
6. My fish
My four fish live in two antique Chinese urns. The ceramic urns are hand-painted on both the inside and outside with beautiful patterns and scenes. Setting the bowl up with plants and stones and their own ecosystems, I find fish to be a very peaceful and comforting pet. I believe that lots of art, plants and fish make a very healing house.
7. Tibetan butter lamps
I became quite obsessed with these when I travelled through Tibet and Ladakh. The Tibetans burn butter in them, keeping some alight all the time and other times filling rooms with them in correspondence to the timings of different ceremonies. They omit quite a soured butter smell that I can still quite vividly recollect. I have hundreds of photos of them and a small collection in my house.
8. Doors poster
A work by my amazing contemporary Scott Satherley, it's called jimbo mary mack and I managed to purchase it for a steal when Scott and I were undergraduate studio mates at Elam. I have had friends look after it for me while I was travelling and they have all wanted to own it. It is a original Doors poster that has been carefully painted over, leaving just the essence of the poster surrounded by pastel pinks blues and lemons - it's delicious.
9. Marble Pieta
This came from St Peters in Rome, and was given to me by my dad. I stood in front of the Michelangelo original for hours marvelling at the detail and absolute precision of the carving. Subtractive works of this period are incredible to me, it's such a different way of working and thinking from the work I make and I have nothing but respect and awe for the artists in Europe during the Renaissance period.
10. Rickshaw panels
These are original rickshaw panels from a pimped-out rickshaw in India. The driver was renovating this cab and I managed to convince him to sell them to me. They are painted by a well-known rickshaw artist in Ahmedabad called "Bobby". I love them so much, they remind me of so many adventures in rickshaws over the years, and as they are very brightly coloured and feature Aishwarya Rai, they are iconically very Indian.
