Bethany Edmunds
New Zealand artist, curator and weaver
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bethany Matai Edmunds (born 1978) is a New Zealand Māori weaver, textile artist, museum professional and hip hop lyricist. She is affiliated with Ngāti Kurī iwi.[1] Her works are held in the collection of the Auckland City Gallery.
Bethany Edmunds | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1978 (age 47–48) |
| Other name | Miss b.Me |
| Occupations | weaver, textile artist, museum professional and hip hop lyricist |
| Known for | weaving and artworks |
Biography
Edmunds was born in 1978.[2] She has a Bachelor of Applied Arts: Māori Design and Technology and while studying received tutoring from the renowned cloak weaver Nikki Lawrence.[3] Edmunds went on to study at New York University where she gained a Master of Arts degree.[2][4] She investigated the conservation, storage and display of Māori cloaks across four museums in the United States of America.[2] While in America she was chosen to work as an intern at the National Museum of the American Indian.[5] She has worked for the Auckland War Memorial Museum as a youth outreach programmer and has also been involved in the museum's Te Awe project.[6][7] Edmunds also works to ensure the survival of korowai (cloak) weaving.[4]
Art
Edmunds is a multidisciplinary artist, with weaving being an integral part of her practice.[2] She uses the knowledge she has obtained from both her Māori and Pākehā heritage to interpret her traditional knowledge into contemporary artworks.[8] Artworks created by Edmunds are held in the collection of the Auckland City Gallery.[2] She has exhibited her art around New Zealand and internationally.[3][9] She is a member of The Pacific Sisters, an art collective of Māori and Pacific women.[10]
Edmunds is also a hip hip lyricist.[11] She uses the name Miss b.Me and is a member of the band Kinaki.[11]
Awards and honours
- 2009 Recipient of the Kate Sheppard Memorial Trust National Award[5]
Exhibitions
- pART mAOri, Cambridge Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Cambridge, UK 2006.[8]
- Ngā Pai ō Hina, Auckland Central City Library, Auckland 2018.[3]
- Te Kōpū, Māngere Arts Centre Ngā Tohu o Uenuku, Auckland 2018.[9]
- Toi Tū Toi Ora: Contemporary Māori Art, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, Auckland 2020.[12]