Humble artist making a big impression

Artist Marianne Hodge with her piece Matariki that is being showcased as part of her Hue exhibition at the Rotorua Arts Village. Photo/Ben Fraser

A Rotorua woman has transformed the ordinary into extraordinary pieces of art for an exhibition celebrating the Maori New Year, Matariki.

Marianne Hodge is showcasing her first solo exhibition, Hue, at The Arts Village in Rotorua. She has 16 pieces on show which has transformed gourds, a plant which often is bottled shape with a hardshell when dried out.

Mrs Hodge (Nga Puhi) has been given or grown gourds from seedlings before cleaning them, cutting them to shape, layering with colour and using woodburning tools to intricately mark kowhaiwhai patterns on to the pieces.

The wife and mother of five is a graduate of Massey University with a Maori Visual Arts degree and also studied a whakairo (carving) diploma through Te Wananga o Aotearoa.

"I call them my tutu works, randomly made and something not thought out, my mind is free," Mrs Hodge said.

"I am not bound anymore by tertiary requirements, standards or rules. I'm just doing it. People need to know that they don't have to have a reason to make art."

Mrs Hodge sings in a band and works part-time and does her artwork in her spare time. She decided to show her creations after encouragement from friends and family.

The Arts Village manager Tania Short said she was "blown away" when she saw her work.

"She came through here looking for a place to exhibit and was so humble. She said, 'I just made these things,' and when she pulled them out, I said, 'Oh my God, they're amazing'," Ms Short said. "I told her rather than have an exhibition any old time, we want to put you in our Matariki exhibition. Around Matariki (June 28-July 28) it does bring in a wider catchment and diversity of audience."

Ms Short said people who had seen the work thought it was "absolutely beautiful".

Mrs Hodge will be talking about the process behind her work and the techniques used this Saturday at the centre.

Maketu artist Robyn Tania Williams is also part of the Matariki exhibition which will run until July 27.

Mrs Hodge will be speaking at The Arts Village on Saturday from 1-2pm. Admission is free.