Marlissa Howard

I am Indian, I am Māori, I am Pākehā. My skin is brown and my hair is dark. I am a woman; I am gentle, but also fierce at the same time. I have been raised to be resilient, and I also realise that life is a privilege, not a right. I am increasingly aware of my acute longing for, and estrangement from my culture and its strongholds, which has, in turn influenced my creative practice. These works document my use of arts-informed inquiry as an alternative form of “making” in my art practice, through predominantly embroidered and text- based works. This process raises the following questions: how can we as creative artists and educators address and resist factors surrounding identity that limit freedom and equality? How might we enrich learning experiences around culture, gender, and class for students to create a more positive, safe place for learning and growth?