National Contemporary Art Award, 2025

Compositions of Identity - Series 2 (2025, oil on board, 109×187cm.) was a finalist in the 2025 National Contemporary Art Award. With egalitarian ‘blind judging’ process, the competition has brought the cutting edge of Aotearoa New Zealand art to Kirikiriroa Hamilton since it was established in 2000.

The piece follows themes of anonymity, objectification, and social projection to form the subjects' identities.

When considering that Identity requires an audience (as opposed to The Self, which is self-perpetuating), ironically, by removing the identity from the subjects, what is left is social presentation and behaviour: the essence of identity. This leaves the viewer free to deduce and apply identity to the subjects.

This concept is pertinent to current life, where expression of identity has become a justifiably important issue, however remains problematic, since Identity is sacred to The Self, but applied by The Other.