Get to Know our Cover Artist, Josie Selkirk
Image credit: Josie Selkirk
Where are you from?
I whakapapa back to Ngāti Whātua and have spent most of my life in Whangārei. I moved here from Tāmaki Makaurau when I was six. I’ve been here for most of my life, except for the few years I spent in Te Whanganui-a-Tara, where I did part of my studies.
Could you describe your artistic style in three words?
In three words, my artistic style is fun, explorative, and feminine. These three characteristics always find a way into my mahi toi, even if not intentionally.
What was your process for creating the illustration that features as our cover?
The process I went through to create the Whā cover started with brainstorming ideas with the lovely Ataria, drawing inspiration from things like hine raumati, aroha, compassion, wāhine and connection. From this, I started my base with a summer-filled scene with the sun peering over the whenua. The wāhine dancing together represents that sense of feminine energy and community within the sisterhood. They dance around the eye of Papatūānuku as she looks out for us, and we look out for her. I’ve included the flowers to resemble our connection to Mother Earth; we all thrive and flourish from her together.
Your works are whimsical, feminine and bright. What draws you to this style?
I feel hugely inspired by the wāhine around me, the pūrākau around our wāhine and being amongst rich feminine energy. I am naturally drawn to including wāhine in my mahi, and I think that stems from a range of things. I love for my friends to feel represented and to see themselves in my toi. I love to add feminine details and portray that side of them, like adding wispy eyelashes to plants or adding curves in the maunga to look like a woman.
What are your favourite things to illustrate?
My go-to thing to illustrate would be flowers with faces! I started drawing human-like flowers when we went into the first lockdown. Since then, I’ve created many psychedelic worlds for them to live in. My art style is expansive and forever growing. I love to portray pūrākau with a more Te Ao Māori approach to mahi, too, which can be seen through my body of work within my Māori art degree.
Where can we find more of your work?
Most of my work is posted on my Instagram account @jos_makesart! Purchases can be made through my website https://josmakesart.bigcartel.com/, or you can visit me at the Whangarei Artisan Markets on Saturdays throughout the summer.