Jamieson, Renate (NZ),
Matriarch of Mettle
ARTIST STATEMENT
renate jamieson
I am a 63 year old, self taught artist with a late diagnosis of ASD 2. Discovering wearable art later in life has given me a sense of purpose, direction and community that I previously lacked and one I am deeply grateful for. Without formal art training, I create intuitively, most often using found, discarded, repurposed and recycled materials. More recently my primary focus has been designing and constructing wearable art made from paper.
Daily creation has become an almost obsessive passion. In my younger years I designed and made solo and group dance competition costumes for the local dance school attended by my 2 daughters. As an empty nester I discovered the international steampunk community where I found joy in designing and making costumes and accessories, attending festivals and competing in New Zealand.
My work is inspired by social paradigms and questions of identity, belonging and how we relate to ourselves and each other. I am especially drawn to the circular aspect of art….form the artists mind and heart, to hand, to artwork and finally to the viewers’ eyes, mind and heart, a process that perpetually brings me immense joy.
Matriarch of Mettle
"The Matriarch of Mettle" is about the strength, resourcefulness, creativity and grace of a Latvian immigrant post World War Two.