Louie Bretaña | |
---|---|
Born | Louis Joseph Rivera Bretaña 1967 (age 56–57) Philippines |
Nationality | Philippines, New Zealand |
Alma mater | University of Auckland and University of Philippines |
Known for | painting, sculpture, performance |
Notable work | Eat My Rice |
Style | painting with glitter and glass crystals, figurative sculptures, and performance art |
Louis Joseph Rivera Bretaña (born 1967) is a Filipino-born New Zealand painter and sculptor with roots in Manila and the Visayan province of Iloilo.[1][2]
Bretaña graduated with Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts, and moved to New Zealand in 2011.[2][3] He subsequently earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts with first-class honours (2018) and a Master of Fine Arts degree (2019) from the Elam School of Fine Arts at the University of Auckland.[3][4]
Bretaña's work actively challenges Euro-western colonial histories and encouraging a respectful engagement with culture via conversation and interaction.[5]
Bretaña's notable performance piece Eat My Rice was held in multiple locations throughout New Zealand, such as New Lynn Community Centre,[6] Projectspace Gallery,[7] RM Gallery,[1] and Play_Station.[8] Eat My Rice is a reimagining of the Filipino pre-colonial feast, where participants eat the rice with bare hands, food served on banana leaves, and letting go of standards and expectations of Euro-western society.[6]
Pre-Christianity Filipino deities play a major role in Bretaña's paintings and sculptures; they act as a platform for pre-colonial Filipino narratives and mythologies,[9] using glitter and glass crystals,[10] but are merged with the local New Zealand context.[11] In a Radio New Zealand interview, he stated "My works look into stories, myths and legends that I heard in my youth and I then translate them into paintings."[12]
In 2024, Bretaña was awarded Artist of the Year, Filipino-Kiwi Hero Awards 2024 for his contribution to the New Zealand's visual arts.[13]
Selected solo exhibitions
- 2023: Eat My Rice, part of World of Cultures, New Lynn Community Centre, Auckland New Zealand[6]
- 2021: Tumingala sa tinitingala na mga tala, Te Uru Waitākere Contemporary Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand[3]
- 2021: Dito sa Lupa Para nang sa Langit- On Earth as it is in the Heavens, Franklin Arts Centre, Auckland, New Zealand[14]
- 2020: Blessed Art Thou, Studio One Toi Tū, Auckland, New Zealand[15]
- 2017: Eat My Rice, Projectspace Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand[7]
- 2017: Eat My Rice, part of Performance Art Week Aotearoa, Play_Station, Auckland, New Zealand [8]
Selected group exhibitions
- 2024: Belonging: Stories of Contemporary New Zealand Asian Artists, Bergman Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand[16]
- 2024: Aotearoa Art Fair 2024, Bergman Gallery, Viaduct Events Centre, Auckland, New Zealand[17]
- 2023: Five Painters, Bergman Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand[12]
- 2023: A Place to Call Home - Contemporary New Zealand Asian Art, Bergman Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand[18][19]
- 2023: Oasis/Respite 2.0, part of Auckland Pride Festival, Corbins Estate Art Centre & Studio One Toi Tū, Auckland, New Zealand[20]
- 2023: Pride and Prejudice... Part 1, Bergman Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand[21]
- 2021: Syokes: Marc Conaco and Louie Bretaña, Objectspace, Auckland, New Zealand[5]
- 2021: Vaka to A Billion Stars, Matariki Festival 2021, Silo 6, Silo Park, Auckland, New Zealand[22]
- 2019: Showcase, Fresh Gallery Ōtara, Auckland, New Zealand[23]
References
- ^ a b Weng, Amy (27 March 2018). "In Conversation with Louie Bretaña". Hainamana. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
- ^ a b Hoyle, Craig (17 September 2017). "Awakening the sleeping dragon could determine the next Government". Stuff. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
- ^ a b c "Te Uru Waitakere Contemporary Gallery | Louie Bretana: Tumingala sa tinitingala na mga tala". Retrieved 30 September 2023.
- ^ "Graduation search results". University of Auckland. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
- ^ a b "Syokes — Objectspace". www.objectspace.org.nz. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
- ^ a b c "World of Cultures 2023". worldofcultures.co.nz. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
- ^ a b "Eat My Rice". elamartists.ac.nz. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
- ^ a b "Eat My Rice - Performance Art Week Aotearoa". Retrieved 30 September 2023.
- ^ Matthew, Ricky. "Showcasing Artists' Perspectives on Belonging and Cultural Evolution". Filipino News. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
- ^ Paris, Blanchard (18 July 2023). "Finding Home". Retrieved 30 September 2023.
- ^ Matthew, Ricky. "Showcasing artists' perspectives on belonging and cultural evolution". Migrant News. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
- ^ a b Tom, Blessen (12 December 2023). "Auckland gallery spotlights Asian artists". RNZ. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
- ^ "Louie Bretaña awarded Artist of the Year". Artnow. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
- ^ "Louie Bretaña, Franklin Arts Centre | Artsdiary 3503". www.artsdiary.co.nz. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
- ^ halonz (14 January 2020). "'Blessed Art Thou' Exhibition | Halo Halo NZ". Retrieved 30 September 2023.
- ^ "Belonging: Stories of Contemporary New Zealand Asian Artists". artguide.artforum.com. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
- ^ "Bergman Gallery | Aotearoa Art Fair 2024". Artnow. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
- ^ "A Place To Call Home - Contemporary New Zealand Asian Art". artguide.artforum.com. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
- ^ "Ponsonby News - New Zealand". ponsonbynews.co.nz. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
- ^ "Oasis/Respite 2.0 | Corban Estate Arts Centre". ceac.org.nz. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
- ^ ""Pride & Prejudice Part 1" at Bergman Gallery | Artsdiary 3872". artsdiary.co.nz. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
- ^ "We Can Do Something Monumental': How to be One in a Billion". The Big Idea. 7 May 2021. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
- ^ ""Showcase" Fresh Gallery Ōtara | Artsdiary 3257". artsdiary.co.nz. Retrieved 14 June 2024.