The Otago Polytechnic Te Pūkenga Dunedin School of Art photography lecturer is one of 17 New Zealand artists who have received grants in the latest round of the Asia New Zealand Foundation's Arts Practitioners’ Fund.
The fund supports New Zealand-based artists to undertake residencies, work placements, research tours and exchanges across Asia.
Mr Lord was delighted with the funding and said it would allow him to return to a part of Japan he visited in a former life as a secondary school teacher.
The photographer was a language teacher in Kofu, under the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) programme, from 2012-14.
"I intend to take up an artists’ residency in Kofu.
"That’s where I used to be a teacher, so it’s like I’m reconnecting there.
"I’ll be working on a new body of photographic work and drawings which reflect the daily life there.
"It will also be a month where I get to spend time connecting with local artists and previous friends in the area."
He aimed to share his experience and establish collaborations between Dunedin and Asian artists.
"It’s amazing to be selected.
"I’m in very good company, looking at the other people that have been selected, so I feel very grateful and honoured to be an ambassador for New Zealand over in Japan again.
"It [the fund] also gives me a lot of financial relief, so that I can concentrate on my artwork."
He hoped to exhibit his work in Dunedin early next year.
Asia New Zealand Foundation Te Whītau Tūhono arts director Craig Cooper said the purpose of the foundation’s arts programme was to bring Asia into the mainstream of New Zealand arts, by inspiring New Zealand arts professionals to grow their connections and knowledge of the region.
"These experiences in Asia will undoubtedly enrich their artistic practice and contribute to the ongoing development of the arts in New Zealand."
He said these immersive experiences held the potential to broaden their creative horizons and encourage collaborations that could contribute to their ongoing production of meaningful and impactful artwork.
