Robin Eady/Staff
Auckland’s Bobby Hung, known as ‘Bersta’, is painting a mural in an alleyway on Spey Road near Thai Thai Restaurant as part of the South Sea Spray Festival.
Artists from Japan and the US gather with spray cans on the wall of Invercargill’s CBD.
The South Sea Spray Festival is the brainchild of Invercargill-based graffiti artist Danny Owen. Commonly known as Dew.
He brought a group of fellow artists to Riverton in 2018 to help brighten up towns in western Southland with street art.
Deow then teamed up with the Mīharo Murihiku Trust to take over the concept at Bluff in 2021. This week, 23 artists will gather with spray cans in the heart of Invercargill to showcase their artistic talents by painting 18 wall murals. .
Pauline Smith, director of the Michallo Mulihiku Trust, said the festival was popular not only with the general public, but also with the artists themselves.
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All the artists who participated in the first two festivals have returned in their third year, Smith said.
“They all say Manaakitanga is one of the things that draws them back. They are so well taken care of. That’s great. We like to think about Southern hospitality.”
Another attraction for artists is the unique opportunity to be in the same place at the same time, sharing ideas while spending the night out.
“They are attracted to each other,” said Smith.
Planning for this week’s event began a year ago, but Smith said there were many logistical factors involved in making the event work, including ensuring the wall space needed for artists to work. says Mr.
Deow found what he thought would be a good space for an artist and approached the building owner.
The festival is funded by grants from Community Trust South, Invercargill Licensing Trust, ILT Foundation, Invercargill City Council and Creative New Zealand.
Resene stepped in to sponsor many of the paintings, and other Southern companies stepped up to help, including Fat Bastard Pies, which put together a “Friday Pie Day” for artists to enjoy.
In addition to street art, Invercargill’s He Waka Tuia also hosts a companion exhibition showcasing more than 50 original artworks from festival-goers. Those works are available for purchase.
A map highlighting the location of the CBD artwork being created is available from He Waka Tuia. Members of the public will be handed a “People’s Choice” award and can vote for their favorite work.
What’s next for the event?
“We’re just building a little bit of a business plan around it,” Smith said.
“What we like to do is every other year we go out to one area and then come back to Invercargill. We might come and do Industrial Invercargill, South Invercargill or North Invercargill.
Meanwhile, on Saturday and Sunday, acclaimed Auckland-based aerosol and stencil artist Haley King, AKA Phlox, will host a one-day workshop in Invercargill, with 16 people in each workshop. You have to participate.