Oh Kay

Lots of people take photographs in Rarotonga – not  many achieve this much depth or receive so much acclaim.

The stars of Kay George’s vibrant mixed media artworks are the residents of Arorangi, the west Rarotongan village she, her husband – a fellow Kiwi and artist – and their teenage daughter call home.

An avid photographer and people-watcher, Kay takes her camera almost everywhere she goes, capturing snapshots of island life whenever inspiration strikes. After more than 15 years on the Cook Island, she has amassed boxfuls of images, many of which offer intriguing insights into the lives of its indigenous inhabitants. Together, they serve as a visual record of both the Rotorua-born artist’s life in Rarotonga and how the local culture has evolved.

In mid-2008, after close to three decades as a practising self-taught artist, Kay received a scholarship from the Cook Islands government to study for a Master of Art and Design degree with Auckland’s AUT University via correspondence. Realising her photos spoke volumes about western culture’s influence on Cook Island culture, Kay began to incorporate them into her work. For her thesis exhibition ‘Patterns of Identity’, she screen-printed snapshots of local women sporting fashions from pre-colonial days to the present on to canvas, which she then developed into digital prints on vinyl. With influences including 1960s pop art and culture, her Pacific upbringing and Rarotonga’s natural environment and culture, the prints are a riot of colour, pattern and design; both celebrating Cook Island women’s strong sense of identity and exploring how their perceptions and culture have changed over time.

Kay developed a fascination with fabrics as a child when she would watch (and occasionally help) her mother make clothes for other neighbourhood families. She took to painting fabrics and clothing in her early twenties and, when she moved to Sydney in 1980, began selling her works at local markets. In 1986, she formed a business partnership with a friend who owned a boutique in Kings Cross, earning just enough to make ends meet.

“It was enough that people were interested in buying my work,” she says.

It was in Sydney that she became reacquainted with her now-husband Ian, whom she’d met at school in Rotorua. An established painter and teacher with a particular interest in Maori and Pacific art, Ian was eager to explore his Cook Island heritage and so, in 1988, the couple moved to Rarotonga.

Both Kay and Ian found creative refreshment in their new locale. The idyllic environment proved a constant source of inspiration and the searing sunshine enabled Kay to paint and print almost every day; quickly drying the fabrics and canvases she produced primarily for the tourist market.

Kay believes the island’s remoteness has helped her develop a very individual style.
“The fact we have very few art supplies means I have to use whatever materials are at my fingertips, which has led to some interesting pieces.”

The family returned to New Zealand in 1994, where Kay exhibited her work regularly in solo and group shows and, in 2000, her works featured in an exhibition at the Biennial of International Design in Lyon, France.

Moving back to Rarotonga in 2004, the family settled into a simple, yet stylish home and studio overlooking a postcard-perfect beach and have been living what Kay thinks must be every artist’s dream lifestyle ever since.

That same year, the couple took out a mortgage to set up a gallery, The Art Studio, to showcase their works and those of other local artists. With four shows a year and permanent exhibition space, the gallery has provided a huge boost to the local art community.
No longer content to be a stereotypically struggling artist, Kay has sought to improve her business skills, enlisted expert help and employed an assistant whose artistic husband helps out with screen-printing.

Improving the business’s efficiency has enabled Kay to devote more time to creating new works which, this year, have attracted considerable attention in the US and Canada. Her works featured in an exhibition with BCA Gallery Rarotonga in New York in March and she has since been invited to include works in Saatchi & Saatchi’s New York collection and to produce images for a Canadian children’s book which will raise money for education and literacy projects in Africa.

Right now, Kay’s working on a range of painted and printed furniture, a new series of photographic images for exhibition and plans to introduce new projects for emerging artists at the gallery. Although she doesn’t rule out the possibility of returning to New Zealand one day, or moving somewhere else entirely, she’s in no hurry to leave her tropical haven.
“Every morning when I leave the house and drive up the road, I’m reminded how lucky I am to live in such a beautiful place,” she says. “As an artist, you couldn’t wish for more.” 

The art of living a balanced lifestyle

Kay George’s top five tips:

• When times are bad, try to remember there are people worse off in the world than you.
• When times are good, appreciate what you have and give generously.
• Take at least one day off each week to relax, recharge and appreciate what you have achieved.
• Discussingconcerns with someone you know will offer a positive and philosophical viewpoint. For me, that someone is my husband.
• Remember to laugh (especially at yourself), exercise and make the most of every day.