Otago’s two entrants in the World of Wearable Arts Awards had a long wait to find out how their creations did due to Covid postponements but the suspension came to an end at the weekend.
Rebecca Fox talks to Bruce Mahalski and Ruth Arkless about their success.
‘‘I’d come to the conclusion my art was never going to win anything.’’
His sceptical view has been dented somewhat by the piece he co-designed with Wellington designer Fifi Colston winning the Word of Wearable Arts (Wow) Aotearoa section and being awarded runner-up to the Supreme Award.
‘‘I was ecstatic to win a section. To get second overall is more than we could have hoped for.’’
He credits Colston with the success of the garment as she had to ‘‘push’’ him into entering.
‘‘I’m pretty jaded, I‘d given up on competitions completely.’’
He has known Colston for many years, having had a studio near hers in Wellington when he lived there. But it was when visiting him in Dunedin at his Museum of Natural History and seeing one of his works Overstay sheep goddess that she suggested they collaborate on a design for Wow.
Colston has been a regular entrant at Wow over the years and is always keen to try something new.
‘‘It was her best result.’’
While Mahalski wanted to make a ‘‘suit of armour-type thing’’, Colston had a different idea. In the end Mahalski created the top and Colston the bottom of the award-winning garment.
The skirt of the garment Fera Dei has a print of layers of bones taken from Mahalski’s art while the top he created is created from mostly wallaby bones wired together with a synthetic product to shape it over a model-sized dummy.
The idea was to create a goddess who oversees the landscape ravaged by rabbits.
‘‘My work relates to the landscape and the impact of introduced animals - we are the real pests as far as I’m concerned.’’
It took about six months to make and then as Covid saw last year’s show postponed they had to wait until this year to see how the garment had done.
Mahalski says while his art, made from animal bones such as rabbits, possums, wallabies and sheep, he finds on mostly farm land in Central Otago, often goes viral online it is not usually taken seriously by the art world.
For Wanaka teacher Ruth Arkless, winning third place in her section Aotearoa and walking up on stage at the Wow Awards was ‘‘phenomenal’’.
To see her piece Social Bubble on stage was just glorious, she says.
‘‘The choreography was amazing, it was so beautiful, a real crowd pleaser, it was so interactive and bouncy.’’
It was Arkless’ fifth entry over the years and her third to make the finals.
‘‘It’s a dream for me. I’d always wanted to enter but it wasn’t until I went to the show to celebrate my 40th that I thought I’m going to do it.’’
Social Bubble was inspired by people living their lives on social media and the vintage upholstery fabric she picked up in an auction in Dunedin five years ago.
‘‘It’s meant to represent the glamour people aspire to on social media and then lockdown hit and everyone was in their own bubbles. So it was fitting.’’
The 1970s purple couch fabric had a sparkly fibre running through it so it bounced light around.
‘‘I knew I had to do something special with it.’’
It took 21 pool noodles and about 25m of fabric to create with a mix of machine stitching and handstitching required. It also needed an undergarment to make it comfortable for a model to wear.
‘‘It weighs at least 15 kilos I don’t know how the model moved in it.’’
She was grateful to meet the model who wore the garment and the person who looked after it throughout the show.
‘‘They had even nick-named it.’’
Arkless had enjoyed the show so much she had been twice and would go again at ‘‘the drop of a hat’’. She also enjoyed taking part in the designers day where they got to take part in workshops and talks.
‘‘It was all so amazing. I’m sleep deprived.’’
She is also brimming over with new ideas for her next piece and plans to seek out some collaborators to work on a piece.
‘‘I’m going to look for a flax weaver who is keen to enter.’’
To see
WORLD OF WEARABLE ARTS
• 88 finalist entries by 103 designers representing 20 countries.
• The show includes over 100 dancers, kapa haka performers (Ngati Poneke), aerialists and soloists.
• Judged by WOW founder Dame Suzie Moncrieff, Zambesi’s Elisabeth Findlay, and sculptor Jeff Thomson.
• International Guest Judge was award-winning costume designer Alexandra Byrne.
• Attract over 60,000 to Wellington, with around 35,000 travelling from out of town.
• WOW contributes nearly $28 million to the local economy.
