Artist Interview: Julie Moselen
As Julie's exhibition 'Anchor Me' comes to an end, this is what she had to say about it:
This body of work explores my sense of belonging to my home in Cornwall, England and my acquired home in West Auckland. It analyses my experiences of living as an immigrant within a new culture, the loss and displacement of my own culture and the connections I have made between the two. It was inspired by a recent trip home.
Going home is always a prodigious journey for me in more ways than one.
The village of Newlyn where I grew up is a quaint little fishing village, a mere 10 miles from Lands End, the very tip of England, and a million miles away from all the hustle and bustle of London.
The surrounding area is filled with ancient burial sites, standing stones quoits and stone circles dating back to 2000BC it is a magical land steeped in history and legend.
For much of my childhood I was a fisherman’s daughter, spending hours staring out at the sea waiting for my dad’s boat to come into view so that I knew he was home safely.
From my bedroom window, up on the hill, I looked out across the busy harbour to the lighthouse (my beacon of security) across Mounts Bay to St Michaels’ Mount, the town of Penzance and all the way round to the Lizard Peninsula. I was surrounded by the sea and everything to do with it, I loved it. Minutes in any direction were beautiful rugged beaches, desolate moorland dotted with old tin mine chimney stacks, or quiet woodlands with meandering streams, but I was never far from the sound of the sea.
It is difficult to leave such an area as it gets into your bones and etches itself upon your soul.
But I did leave.
When I first settled in New Zealand it was new and exciting. There were new places to be discovered, new flora and fauna, new people to meet, a new language and culture to learn about. As the years have drifted by (almost 16 now) I have found similarities that I cling too, differences that I welcome, and a continuing desire to learn more about a dynamic and evolving country that also seems to have struggled with its own identity.
Going home is always an emotional journey filled with familiar sights and smells, old friendships and of course family. The more time I spend away the more distanced I feel.
I am now at a point where I am no longer recognised as a local but I am also an immigrant in my home of New Zealand. So where do I belong?
Through my painting, printmaking and jewellery I have used symbols from both my life in England and my life in New Zealand to explore and represent my feelings of connection, disconnection and the search for identity and a sense of belonging.
The ocean plays a huge part in both my past and present lives but I realised recently that it is the one thing that connects the two as much mentally as physically.
It is a place where I find solace and security no matter where I am.
The spiral, found in all areas of nature has always been an important symbol for me representing life, as well as my Celtic/pagan heritage.
The koru is representative of my new home, new life, a development of the spiral I brought with me. It also symbolises my family connection to Maori culture, and all that is New Zealand.
Sea birds are one of the connections I have made between my two lands.
I have fond memories of fishing off the coast of Cornwall on my Dad’s boat, surrounded by Infinite Ocean but always accompanied by sea birds.
Gannets and Petrels are two beautiful birds that can be found in both of my homes. They represent the constant search for individuality and affinity. The frigate bird whilst not familiar to the British Isles, represents migration.
Roimata (Drop Pendant) often carved from Greenstone symbolise sadness and is usually given as a gesture in recognition of a person’s loss or sadness. Here I use it as a symbol of my loss and sadness for the culture I once belonged to. The two veins of gold represent my past and present.
I would also like to take this opportunity to recognise my family’s recent loss.
My very dear Father in Law passed away 2 months ago. He was a wonderful man of honesty and integrity who taught us all how to treat others. He is sorely missed.
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As Julie's exhibition 'Anchor Me' comes to an end, this is what she had to say about it:
This body of work explores my sense of belonging to my home in Cornwall, England and my acquired home in West Auckland. It analyses my experiences of living as an immigrant within a new culture, the loss and displacement of my own culture and the connections I have made between the two. It was inspired by a recent trip home.
Going home is always a prodigious journey for me in more ways than one.
The village of Newlyn where I grew up is a quaint little fishing village, a mere 10 miles from Lands End, the very tip of England, and a million miles away from all the hustle and bustle of London.
The surrounding area is filled with ancient burial sites, standing stones quoits and stone circles dating back to 2000BC it is a magical land steeped in history and legend.
For much of my childhood I was a fisherman’s daughter, spending hours staring out at the sea waiting for my dad’s boat to come into view so that I knew he was home safely.
From my bedroom window, up on the hill, I looked out across the busy harbour to the lighthouse (my beacon of security) across Mounts Bay to St Michaels’ Mount, the town of Penzance and all the way round to the Lizard Peninsula. I was surrounded by the sea and everything to do with it, I loved it. Minutes in any direction were beautiful rugged beaches, desolate moorland dotted with old tin mine chimney stacks, or quiet woodlands with meandering streams, but I was never far from the sound of the sea.
It is difficult to leave such an area as it gets into your bones and etches itself upon your soul.
But I did leave.
When I first settled in New Zealand it was new and exciting. There were new places to be discovered, new flora and fauna, new people to meet, a new language and culture to learn about. As the years have drifted by (almost 16 now) I have found similarities that I cling too, differences that I welcome, and a continuing desire to learn more about a dynamic and evolving country that also seems to have struggled with its own identity.
Going home is always an emotional journey filled with familiar sights and smells, old friendships and of course family. The more time I spend away the more distanced I feel.
I am now at a point where I am no longer recognised as a local but I am also an immigrant in my home of New Zealand. So where do I belong?
Through my painting, printmaking and jewellery I have used symbols from both my life in England and my life in New Zealand to explore and represent my feelings of connection, disconnection and the search for identity and a sense of belonging.
The ocean plays a huge part in both my past and present lives but I realised recently that it is the one thing that connects the two as much mentally as physically.
It is a place where I find solace and security no matter where I am.
The spiral, found in all areas of nature has always been an important symbol for me representing life, as well as my Celtic/pagan heritage.
The koru is representative of my new home, new life, a development of the spiral I brought with me. It also symbolises my family connection to Maori culture, and all that is New Zealand.
Sea birds are one of the connections I have made between my two lands.
I have fond memories of fishing off the coast of Cornwall on my Dad’s boat, surrounded by Infinite Ocean but always accompanied by sea birds.
Gannets and Petrels are two beautiful birds that can be found in both of my homes. They represent the constant search for individuality and affinity. The frigate bird whilst not familiar to the British Isles, represents migration.
Roimata (Drop Pendant) often carved from Greenstone symbolise sadness and is usually given as a gesture in recognition of a person’s loss or sadness. Here I use it as a symbol of my loss and sadness for the culture I once belonged to. The two veins of gold represent my past and present.
I would also like to take this opportunity to recognise my family’s recent loss.
My very dear Father in Law passed away 2 months ago. He was a wonderful man of honesty and integrity who taught us all how to treat others. He is sorely missed.
Back