Liam Astbury was quietly delighted to have sold 26 pieces of his art at his first exhibition at the Megan Dickinson Gallery in the recent Whangarei Fringe Festival.
That is a sentence that would normally cause few ripples of interest in art’s common cycle of creativity and sale – except that 28-year-old Liam is autistic; selling 26 pieces of art would be a triumph for any artist, let alone one experiencing a form of autism he’s had since childhood.
And yet, had it not been for help from NorthAble Matapuna Hauora – a disability support provider in Northland – this promising artist’s work may not have been exposed to a wider audience.
“It was great; I sold 26 pieces,” says Liam about his exhibition during the festival – called Affectionate Portraits of Furship, a homage to cats and their role in our lives. “It was so good I am planning another exhibition now – this one about dogs.”
He is also hoping to take his “Furship” exhibition on a roadshow around the Tai Tokerau district: “It will be a great opportunity to show what people with disabilities can achieve if given a chance to make art and show it off at a professional level – like an art gallery in the Tai Tokerau district,” he says.
Liam is a multidisciplinary artist who covers photography, videographer, illustrator, moving image graphic design and painting - some of those skills employed in the Furship exhibition.
The Megan Dickinson Gallery said of his work: “Liam’s exploration into the relationships we share with our feline companions is not only endearing, it’s also very quirky…Liam is a remarkable young man and we are very proud to support this part of his art journey, being his first solo show since graduating from North Tec in 2021 with a Bachelor of Applied Arts.”
“I’ve been an artist since moving here from the United Kingdom,” says Liam. “I decided to become an artist in my last year [of his degree]; I knew that was the way for me to go – but I couldn’t have done my Bachelor of Applied Arts without a lot of help from my tutors, friends and family.”
Much of that has also come from NorthAble. Chief Executive Officer Noel Matthews says NorthAble’s Ringa Manaki fund was established in the last 12 months to support initiatives like Liam’s. He had applied for funding from other sources to cover costs but missed out, and without NorthAble help, may not have had the opportunity to showcase his art.
It’s a clear example, he says, of what can be achieved if, like everyone else, disabled people have the opportunity to “get out there and do things”. It also demonstrates how organisations like NorthAble can operate with the principles of Enabling Good Lives (EGL) at heart.
“It can be difficult for people to get a starting opportunity, especially when their disability creates an additional barrier, such as anxiety,” Says Matthews. “At NorthAble, we work with a strengths-based approach where we focus on what people can do, and then look at how we can support them to play to those strengths and achieve their aims and aspirations. Liam is a perfect example of this, and it’s great we could support him to showcase his love for animals through his art.”
Liam says the idea behind the solo show on cats was sparked when working towards his graduation exhibition in November 2021 – and by his friends’ cats and “my cheeky cat called Mako”
“My love of cats started from a young age. Through my autism, I have found a special connection with animals, specifically cats and dogs. When I am feeling down or stressed, I spend time with them; I often look at videos of cats on YouTube when I need cheering up.
“Domestication has led to humans providing the source of social support for animals. It has also led to animals being social support for their owners. As a cat lover, I wanted to explore the relationships we have with our domestic cats through my art.”
The main piece of his exhibition was a documentary and audio interviews called Cats & Their People – and that and a photo book showcased the diversity of relationships people have with their cats.
“The footage has been visually manipulated by adding a hand-drawn effect. The documentary is accompanied by a series of still images further highlighting the variety of relationships and interactions that we have with our cats, and the role they play in our everyday lives.
“Undertaking this work has further emphasised the bond that exists with the cats in our lives and the importance of these relationships. It also demonstrates that the pets we choose are as unique as we are.”
Matthews says NorthAble has always prided itself on delivering services with the people that it serves “at the heart of all that we do. The new ministry for disabled people, Whaikaha, has breathed new life into the EGL principles – and our work is underpinned by them.”
Liam’s successful exhibition was a perfect example of how a little help from an agency like NorthAble – which recently changed its structure to further embed the EGL principles at the heart of everything it does – can change someone’s outlook completely.
As for Liam, he says: “NorthAble helped me a lot with this exhibition. I’m really happy. I’ve now got my own small business called Cattitude By Liam – which I had the idea for during my Bachelor of Applied Arts at NorthTec and in February it will be a whole year since I first started Cattitude By Liam.