Southern View: April 11, 2024

Thursday April 11 2024 5
CREATIVE: Artists Reng Yu Chen and Amelia Green
working on their murals at the Climate Action Campus.
Below – Amelia’s focused on birds. PHOTOS: NEWSLINE
Nature inspires artists to tackle
climate change with new trail
AN OUTDOOR gallery,
featuring artists young and
old, is breathing life into an old
school site.
The new A-MAZE-INK art
trail is being developed by the
Climate Action Campus, with
assistance from the city council
graffiti team. It takes place at the
former Avonside Girls’ High site.
“We feel incredibly privileged
to be able to come to work each
day and be greeted by beautiful
art from so many diverse
artists, enhancing our space,”
campus learning advisor Rachel
Cummins said.
The oldest artist who
responded to the call-out was
82-year-old Reng Yu Chen – who
goes by Mr Chen.
His pink and blue mural
featuring lotus and swans takes
up the back wall of an old classroom,
and is the first thing you
see when you step foot into the
grounds from Avonside Drive.
“I wanted to paint beautiful
life, flowers, and swans. The lotus
is a sign of beauty and kindness
in Asian culture,” Mr Chen
explained through a translator.
“I love Christchurch. I love the
life here, the people here, the city,
the water, the air, the sunshine,
and the climate.”
Seventeen-year-old Amelia
Green is one of the youngest
artists featured in the series. Her
lifelike renditions of native New
Zealand birds cover an otherwise
bland toilet block.
“I’m on a gap year thinking
about what I want to do for a
career, and I thought how can I
put myself out there as an artist.
I’m not the type of person who
can just sit around,” Amelia said.
“I was inspired by nature,
it’s an important part of New
Zealand culture. I had a lady
walk past recently and she
got emotional because the tui
reminded her of her mum who
had passed away. That was
special.”
Council graffiti co-ordinator
Mel Hillier said the trail
showcased the value of art.
“The MAZE is showcasing
the art community by valuing
the voices of artists of every age
and encouraging creativity with
another opportunity to celebrate
art in our city,” she said.
“Giant wall murals of beauty
painted by artists of every genre
with their varied perceptions of
treasuring and protecting the
climate are everywhere.”
What is the Climate Action
Campus?
The campus offers a place
to learn, develop and initiate
climate change ideas and
actions. It has more than 1000
students and not-for-profits
working at it every week.
Tunnel houses, bee hives,
a bush kindy, butterfly and
skink habitats, and vegetable
gardens are just a few of the
projects onsite.
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