Young printmaker exhibits work
Mikayla Baldwin presents her first exhibition this month at Fine Arts Whanganui.
PHOTO / Paul Brooks
The winner of both the Fine Arts Whanganui Young Artists Scholarship and the Whanganui Artists Open Studios — People's Choice in November last year was young printmaker Mikayla Baldwin.
That meant the Whanganui High School student had her design on the cover of Artists Open Studios guide and her work exhibited in the gallery of Fine Arts Whanganui.
The former happened and the latter is about to, with 10 pieces of Mikayla's work on display from June 15 until July 12 — her first formal exhibition and the works are for sale.
Mentor Lindsay Marsh, a member of the Fine Arts collective, was appointed to guide Mikayla through the exhibiting process.
"We're both printmakers," says Lindsay, "So I can relate to what she's doing."
Mikayla uses dry point etching technique.
"I've been doing dry point etching since Year 9," she says. Her teacher and head of Whanganui High School art department is Graham Hall.
"Mr Hall was teaching it in our art class and I really liked it, so I picked up on it and followed through with it."
Her work can be called surreal.
"I make up things that don't exist in real life, I try and make it quirky and let the audience interpret it how they want to. There's a little bit of humour and a little bit of strangeness, I guess."
She uses animals a lot, but she chooses animals she likes.
"I like to make animals come to life, so I put clothes on them, and stuff like that. I'm designing a campaign called Extinct Voices for my class work, and it's against clothing made from animals, so I've got endangered animals and animals that have been hunted. I've humanised them."
Her brief for the exhibition was simple — 10 to 12 pieces in the style she likes.
She has tried painting, but she really likes the medium she has chosen. Multiple prints of each work are possible, although each print is unique.
At Massey University next year Mikayla wants to study design and make art her career.
When the gallery opened in 2015, Fine Arts' mission statement included a commitment to foster emerging artists. Fine Arts Whanganui Young Artists Scholarship furthers the collective's aims, and celebrates young talent in the community. The scholarship is funded directly by the members of the Fine Arts Whanganui Gallery.
The 2018 Young Scholarship Award programme will be announced at Fine Arts Whanganui Gallery at Mikayla's exhibition opening on Friday.
By Paul Brooks
Wanganui Midweek 13/6/18