Last night I had the privilege of opening a new exhibition at the Taylor-Jensen Fine Arts gallery in George Street. Called Brushstrokes from the East, this is the first solo exhibition in New Zealand of paintings by Chinese artist Wu Wei of Guangzhou, China.

The exhibition consists of approximately 15 to 20 paintings in both traditional Chinese calligraphic style as well as works in more Western mode. Wu Wei was born in China in 1960. He is a graduate of the Tsinghua University College of Fine Arts (now the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing). He has worked in a number of art and design environments but his real love is painting. His paintings are highly regarded in China and many have been exhibited in prestigious museums and art galleries.

This afternoon I attended the opening of the visiting exhibition at Te Manawa, called, “How to Make a Monster: the Art and Technology of Animatronics”. Two words can sum this exhibition up, “Oh, wow!” Since I was a child, I have always been curious about how things work (ask my parents if they remember the day I pulled the telephone apart to see how it worked!) so exhibitions of this nature always appeal. The exhibition shows the art and technology of bringing animals and fantasy to life for the movie screen as well as techniques and processes such as sculpting, moulding and the design and installation of animatronic components. If you have ever played with a mechano set or marvelled over special effects in movies, you will love this exhibition. It’s on at Te Manawa until 14th January. More information is available at the Te Manawa website.