Claudia Kogachi (born 1995) is a Japanese-born New Zealand artist. She was born in Awaji-shima, Japan, in 1995. Kogachi is an

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...

-based artist whose work renders domestic scenes, adolescence and inter-generational cultural learning through various mediums. Members of her immediate family feature frequently in her works, as well as an exploration of her Japanese-Hawaiian heritage. Kogachi's 2020 work ''Obaachan during the lockdown, Wahiawā, Hawaiʻi'' was commissioned by Te Tuhi and developed with curator Abby Cunnane, and depicts a series of large

tufted Tufting is a type of textile manufacturing in which a thread is inserted on a primary base. It is an ancient technique for making warm garments, especially mittens. After the knitting is done, short U-shaped loops of extra yarn are introduced thr ...

rugs depicting photographs Kogachi took while visiting her family in Hawai'i. Kogachi turned her art-making practice to rug tufting as a result of the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

's impact on her access to painting supplies. Although born in Japan, Kogachi frequently visited her grandparents in Hawai'i who had moved there to work on the pineapple plantations. From the 1880s onwards, the pineapple industry brought many people from Japan seeking work, and many Japanese families settled permanently. She graduated from

Elam School of Fine Arts The Elam School of Fine Arts, founded by John Edward Elam, is part of the Faculty of Creative Arts and Industries at the University of Auckland. Students study degrees in fine art with an emphasis on a multidisciplinary approach. The schoo ...

in 2017 with a BFA (Hons).

Process

Speaking about making her tufted rugs, Kogachi has explained:

The guns themselves weigh roughly 3 kgs, which doesn’t sound like much, but when you’re spending roughly 60+ hours on each large rug the toll this can take on your body is intense. I remember after finishing the last series, my right arm was visibly larger and in more pain than my left. The guns have so much range and have allowed me to experiment with new materials and dimension, however it does restrict movement which can affect the overall work.

Awards

* 2019 Winner NZPPA, New Zealand Painting and Printmaking Award * 2017 Gordon Harris Painting Award

Exhibitions

* ''Everyone Has a Horse Phase'', Sanderson Contemporary, Auckland, 2020 * ''Free Snacks at the Airport Lounge'', Allpress Studio, Auckland, 2019 * ''Those are my f-ing shoes'', Sanderson Contemporary, Auckland, 2019 * ''Like A Boss'' (group exhibition), Franklin Arts Centre, 2018 * ''Mother and Daughter on Hiatus'', Sanderson Contemporary, Auckland, 2018 * ''You're not a Princess you know'', Window Gallery, Auckland, 2018 * ''Mom, are we friends?'' Meanwhile, Gallery, Wellington, 2018 * ''Uncle Gigi,'' play_station Gallery, Wellington, 2020 *''New Artist Show 2020,''

Artspace Aotearoa Artspace Aotearoa (previously known as Artspace NZ) is an art gallery in Auckland, New Zealand. It is located on Karangahape Road in Newton. The gallery was founded in 1987, and focuses on contemporary New Zealand and overseas art. It should not ...

, Auckland, 2020 *''It is what it is'', Jhana Millers, Wellington, 2021 *''Rugged Heart'', Visions Gallery, Auckland, 2021 *''Hot Girls with IBS'', Hot Lunch roject space Christchurch, 2021 *''When the Dust Settles'',

, Auckland, 2021

References

Living people 1995 births New Zealand women artists People from Hyōgo Prefecture Elam Art School alumni {{NewZealand-artist-stub