ARTIST IN RESIDENCE | SARANA HAEATA Solo Exhibition ‘I Send Myself Love Letters'
Sarana Haeata is a Maori-Australian artist whose works span across painting, digital art and ceramics. From her home studio in the rugged desert country of Alice Springs, Sarana explores the beauty and nuances held in shared stories, collective and individual identity and the female experience. Her work is heavily influenced by the joy and exasperation of being a mum to four young daughters whose laughter keeps her sane, whose tears demand she stay focused on what’s important and whose presence meant that showering time throughout her twenties was kept to a bare minimum.
I Send Myself Love Letters: an exhibition of canvas and ceramic works by Sarana Haeata that explore the power of self acceptance versus mass acceptance. Through a series of abstract figurative pieces Sarana channels dreamlike feelings of freedom: To dive and fly, fall and rest knowing that we as individuals, naked beneath our socially constructed identities, are indeed, more than enough.
Sarana, we've just celebrated your first Sydney Solo Exhibition, how do you feel?
I feel a big fat mixture of relief, of joy from all the beautiful people I got to meet and catch up with, very humbled by having such a positive reception for my work and also very lucky that Jade and Goldie from RAINBOW STUDIOS happened upon my art and offered me their beautiful gallery to show it! It's a lot of work and a lot of nerves leading up to an exhibition (for me at least) so I'm really proud of how it went as well as excited for the future.
What was your favourite part about creating these works specifically for this exhibition?
These works were all quite personal pieces so I guess my favourite aspect of creating this collection was being able pour my own emotion and experiences into a visual that resonated with others and their own journey. It feels like each piece holds a different aspect of my own journey, so painting and creating the works was a really beautiful, cathartic process.
What's on the horizon for you and your art practice for 2024?
I'm just super excited to expand my art practice next year. I'll be moving to a larger studio so I can't wait to get in there and start creating! It'll be a year of more exhibiting with hopefully some international showings in the mix as well.
If you could describe the RAINBOW STUDIOS community in a few words, what would they be?
A community of do-ers with their finger on the pulse.
ARTIST IN RESIDENCE
SARANA HAEATA
'I SEND MYSELF LOVE LETTERS'
ARTIST IN RESIDENCE
SARANA HAEATA
'I SEND MYSELF LOVE LETTERS'
ARTIST IN RESIDENCE
SARANA HAEATA
'I SEND MYSELF LOVE LETTERS'
SARANA HAEATA - 'I SEND MYSELF LOVE LETTERS'
A collection of works exploring the female experience.