Great New Zealand Arts Dinner Party

"I've always subscribed to the notion that poems and stories are 'beautiful lies' – they invent things in order to tell some deeper truth. But the story in this poem is exactly what happened – all I had to do was write it down." – 2018 Icon Whakamana Hiranga, Bill Manhire

"When I was a kid who sat politely while the adults talked, I would study the placemats to entertain myself. I'd look for hidden patterns or imagine myself into the scene. With this as my inspiration I've created a placemat that anyone can escape into, by yourself or with the whole table. Would you rather ride the slug bus (slow but beautifully smooth) or mount a slater (fast but unreliable)?" – 2023 Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi Laureate, Giselle Clarkson

"Kupu Te Ahi is part of a series of six works from my show, The Ballad of Tūhaitara, in 2015 at the Jonathan Smart Gallery in Christchurch. The concept for the exhibition is steeped in narrative belonging to my whakapapa /genealogy. Tūhaitara was a woman of strength and mana whose marriage, children and tragic end is significant in Ngai Tahu history and its origins on the east coast of the North Island and consequent migration south. Kupu Te Ahi, the word is fire. Keeping the home fires burning, emphasises perseverance, resilience and a sense of home and belonging." – 2024 Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi Laureate, Lonnie Hutchinson

"Recently I have been looking back on my earlier work and reusing images from them. To create something new for the placemat and coaster I cut up, rearranged and recoloured Text Message, a woodblock print from 2008." – 2012 Arts Foundation Laureate, Tony de Lautour

"The Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi represents hope for creatives, for those of us walking the harder path in the arts." – 2019 Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi Laureate, Kris Sowersby