Looking Back(Yard)

Centred on the gradual loss of childhood, artist Abi Chambers explores the intricate and confusing emotions felt during her transition to adulthood. At the core of her exhibition is her childhood backyard. A space where, under the shade of an old ginkgo tree, she and her friends would spend hours in carefree states of imagination and play. The backyard feels expansive, vast and full of possibilities.

Chambers crafts a bittersweet meditation on the incremental changes we go through as we age through glimpses of her adolescence. The backyard, by extension, represents childhood itself. The artist highlights the sudden, strange realisation that at some unknown point we detach from our childhood selves. Sacrificing the wonder and spontaneity of childhood for the routine and practicality of adulthood.

With large backyards slowly being replaced by high-density housing, Chambers touches on the realisation that the quintessential Kiwi experience of growing up is in danger of disappearing. Although this change is necessary to support our growing population, it leaves many feeling nostalgic for the past. In Looking Back(Yard), the backyard becomes a time capsule, and we yearn for a part of ourselves lost long ago.

Abi Chambers is a mixed-media artist currently in her first year of studying Engineering and Design at the University of Auckland. Memory, and nostalgia are central to her artistic approach. Chambers is interested in activating the senses, and uses fabric across her exhibition to provide a physical tie between past and present.

Looking Back(Yard) is her first solo exhibition.

About The Wall

The Wall is dedicated to supporting East Auckland artists working towards secondary or tertiary study. This exhibition space allows emerging artists to experience the process of exhibition making without the pressure that comes with the scale of a traditional gallery space. Situated amongst the hustle and bustle of the UXBRIDGE concourse, this gallery space allows young artists more exposure than its counterpart. Artist will have the opportunity to engage with the community and gain experience talking about their practice through optional Artist Talks and other public programming. After their exhibition, emerging artists will have a clearer understanding of the unseen aspects of exhibition-making. At the same time, members of the public will gain awareness of local creatives in their community.