Deb Donnelly
Textile Designer / Curator
MTchg
Dip. Textile Design
Ishibashi Foundation/Japan Foundation Fellowship for research on Japanese Art 2019
World Shibori NZ representative

Japan / NZ European
Wellington born, Kapiti Coast-based artist Deb has a major interest in ethnographic textiles research.
'A Place at the Kauri Table'
Mei-Chueh's 'place' (spotlit)
ITP 'Whanaungatanga' Symposium 2019

Nuno 3D sculptural felt 2014
NZ merino wool and paj silk, shibori resist dyed.

NZ Japan cultural exchange 2019 - a study of identity and place.
Shibori resist Indigo on cotton, Nuno ecoprint natural dyes on NZ merino wool, vintage Japanese katazome indigo textiles, hand-made paper, dyed threads, hand-stitched.
Dr. Mei-Chueh Chao
Teacher
PhD Applied Linguistics

Taiwan
I hope to empower other migrant women to tap into their own place within the community.
My insights are offered to the group
WIA 2020 as an immigrant, not only to New Zealand but also to UK, USA and Canada since leaving Taiwan in 1997 at age 24.
As an immigrant coming from an Asian ethnicity to a Western culture, this makes me feel visible and at the same time, invisible. These experiences have shaped my sense of being; as both insider and outsider in those cultures.
Through the involvement of this project which creates a platform for my voice, my own story, I hope to empower other migrant women to tap into their own place within the community.
The Kauri Table creates a safe place to individually and collectively share the stories of grief, loss, trauma as part of the process towards transformation. That transformation gives us the new perspective to reframe the migrant experience. The Kauri Table nurtures my being, to the point that I can pass the torch onto others, in particular, immigrant women trying to find their place of belonging, and with the strength to move forward, in grace and empowerment with other community members.
I am inspired to create more platforms to invite other migrant women to share their own stories within the greater Wellington region.
Mei's interview for Radio NZ's 'Voices', a
series of immigrant story podcasts, can be listened to & read here.


'A Place at the Kauri Table'
Mei-Chueh's 'place' - spotlight
ITP 'Whanaungatanga' Symposium 2019

Fruit bowl & Buddhist beads
Mei-Chueh's 'place'
A Place at the Kauri Table 2019

Fruit bowl & soup spoon
Mei-Chueh's 'place'
A Place at the Kauri Table 2019
Mei-Chueh at her 'place'
A Place at the Kauri Table 2019