still image projected (music video, ‘Norman Bates’, Landscape) with autoportrait against studio door, collage / CG, 2013 // constructing the ‘O’, Typojanchi 2015, photograph / Daun Lim
Overview [»« denotes title of own works / ʻ’ denotes title of writings, bibliogaphy]
_______solo exhibitions
2025 : details to be announced
— Enjoy Public Art Gallery, Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington, opening 14 February
— Dulux Gallery, University of Melbourne, Naarm Melbourne, opening 10 May
— Te Wai Ngutu Kākā Gallery, Auckland University of Technology, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, mid-late 2025
2023 : »7/7, 14 Views«, Project Wall, curated by Andrew Kennedy, Te Tuhi
2019 : »catherine griffiths : SOLO IN [ ] SPACE«, The Space Gallery, Shanghai
_______group exhibitions
2023 : Sophia Smolenski: Offering It Up; Adam Art Gallery, Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington
2022 : Counterparts, Part One // Where To From Here, No Vacancy, Naarm Melbourne
2021 : Toro Whakaara, CoCA, Otautahi Christchurch
2020 : Rectify This Painting, City Art Depot, Otautahi Christchurch
2019 : United Korea Flag, Gwangju Design Biennale
2017 : Transitionalfieldwork, DEMO Artspace, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland
2017 : Shanghai Art and Design Exhibition, Liu Haisu Museum, Shanghai
2016 : All Lines Converge, Govett-Brewster, Ngāmotu New Plymouth
2016 : Make Something, Allpress Gallery, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland
2015 : Typojanchi 2015, 4th International Typography Biennale, Seoul
2015 : The False Demographic, Blue Oyster Art Project Space, Ōtepoti Dunedin
2015 : The Alphabet Project, Fitchburg, Massachussetts
2015 : Fête du Graphisme 2015, City Poster Project, Paris
2014 : The Hone Tuwhare Charitable Trust Fundraising Project, Ōtepoti Dunedin
2012 : A View From Where I Was Sleeping, Dowse Art Museum, Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington
2012 : Proyecto de Arte Contemporáneo Alzheimer, Parque Cultural de Valparaíso, CHILE
2011 : OLD SCHOOL/NEW SCHOOL, curated by Luit Bieringa, Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington
2011 : Maquettes for the Floor, Dilana, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland
2009 : New Zealand Identity: le cadavre exquis, TypeSHED11, Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington
2006 : Just Hold Me, Objectspace, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland
2003 : Conversation Pieces, Michael Hirschfeld Gallery, Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington
2003 : Norsewear Art Award, Hawkes Bay Exhibition Centre, Heretaunga Hastings
2000 : Up:date//The Active Eye: Contemporary New Zealand Photography, PhotoForum
_______artworks/installations/interventions
2024 : »RESISTANCE IS BEAUTIFUL المقاومة جمیلة« (w/ Sudi Dargipour), Stitching Solidarity: Artists for Palestine, Aotearoa
2024 : »What is my threshold now?« Manifesto v Manifest, PLATES #1, Page Bureau, NYC
2023 : »7/7, 14 Views« Te Tuhi, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland
2023 : »Self-preservation #108« Archive of Brushed Hair #001–142 (2019–2022), Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery, Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington
2022 : »The Phone Book: Club de Conversation: deconstructed, suspended« Naarm Melbourne
2021 : »Poipoi Whakaaro« (w/ ĀKAU), Toro Whakaara, CoCA, Ōtautahi Christchurch
2020 : »AEIOU« for HERE magazine, NZ
2020 : »intro/extro/vert« City Art Depot, Ōtautahi Christchurch
2019 : »So far, a map of projects, a drawing« The Space Gallery, Shanghai
2019 : »em dash in silver« United Korea Flag, Gwangju Design Biennale
2017 : »So far, a map of projects« transitionalfieldwork, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland
2017 : »Work/Space« Shanghai Art and Design Exhibition, Liu Haisu Museum, Shanghai
2017 : »Collidescape« (permanent) Te Kei, Ara Institute, Ōtautahi Christchurch
2016 : »Kihi/Kiss« (permanent, installed 2018), Wellington Airport, Te Whanganui-a-Tara
2016 : »only U know« Lela Jacobs, Auckland AW17, Paris SS17
2016 : »A whakapapa, two lines of women« All Lines Converge, Govett-Brewster, Ngāmotu
2016 : »Installation with mirror and line« DEMO artspace, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland
2016 : »Figures of Speech« (w/ Matthew Galloway), Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland
2016 : »Drawing Line in Space« bespoke display system, NZ Institute of Architects
2015 : »AEIOU—constructed/projected« Typojanchi 2015, Typography Biennale, Seoul
2015 : »U« The Alphabet Project, Fitchburg, Massachussetts
2015 : »36°50′25.50″S 174°44′23.53″E / 50 Volcanoes« Fête du Graphisme, Paris
2014 : »A pocket-sized park« (installed 2016, permanent), Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland
2014 : »Rain« Hone Tuwhare Charitable Trust Project, Ōtepoti Dunedin
2012 : »Light Weight O« (installed 2018, permanent), O’Connell Street, Tāmaki Makaurau
2012 : »memento :: motif« Proyecto de Arte Contemporáneo Alzheimer, Valparaíso
2012 : »Fifth Movement« (permanent), Takapuna Beach House, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland
2012 : »The Trestle Leg Series« (permanent), Auckland Harbour Bridge, Tāmaki Makaurau
2011 : »A Hillside Intervention« (permanent), Athfield Architects, Te Whanganui-a-Tara
2011 : »Club de Conversation Keyholes« Maquettes for the Floor, Dilana, Tāmaki Makaurau
2011 : »Sound Tracks« Hit the Wall, The Dowse, Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington
2010 : »The Jets« short film, Paris
2010 : Two studios + modest house (completed 2012, w/ Bruce Connew), Karekare
2009 : »AEIOU, typo/sound installation« (permanent), Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington
2005 : »Distance Markers« (permanent), Heart Foundation, Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington
2003 : »Protest Vessel 1/2 Price« (w/ Raewyn Atkinson), Heretaunga Hastings
2003 : »Ponatahi, a house wrapped in a poem« (permanent, w/ Jenny Bornholdt), Wairarapa
2002 : »Pitcher with Women« (w/ Jenny Bornholdt, Raewyn Atkinson), Michael Hirschfeld Gallery, City Gallery Wellington, Te Whanganui-a-Tara
2000 : Wellington Writers Walk (installed 2002/2004, permanent), Te Whanganui-a-Tara
2020 – ongoing: Toi MAHARA [visual identity, wayfinding and building signage system]
2020 – 2023: A Vocabulary, Bruce Connew, Te Uru Waitākere Contemporary Gallery, Aotearoa
2019 : »catherine griffiths : SOLO IN [ ] SPACE«, The Space Gallery, Shanghai
2019 : Present Tense : Wāhine Toi Aotearoa, poster project and exhibition hīkoi, Aotearoa
2018 : Designers Speak (Up), Directory of Women Designers, Aotearoa
2017 : JOHN SCOTT WORKS, Objectspace, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland
2016 : Drawing Line in Space, bespoke display system, NZ Institute of Architects
2016 : ParlourLIVE!, Venice Architecture Biennale 2016 (shortlisted), AIA, Australia
2016 : The Blyth Performing Arts Centre, Stevens Lawson Architects, Aotearoa
2014 – 2018: typ gr ph c workshop series, Karekare, Aotearoa
2014 : Point of Distance, Venice Architecture Biennale 2014 (shortlisted), NZIA
2013 : Diverse Practice, Architecture + Women, Victoria University of Wellington
2009 : TypeSHED11 typography symposium, Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington
2007 : Making Waves with 20 Artists (film), Ministry of Research, Science + Technology
_______bibliography
2024 : Brooke Pou, ʻCalling on Colleagues, Sophia Smolenski’s Offering at the Adam’, Art New Zealand #191, Spring 2024, Aotearoa NZ
2023 : John L. Walters, ʻRead this space’, Eye 104, Volume 26, UK
2023 : Theo Macdonald, ʻSaying the quiet part in 72pt font’, North & South, Aotearoa NZ
2014 : Gregory O’Brien, ʻBody, Mind, Somehow: The Text Art of Catherine Griffiths’, Art New Zealand #150, Aotearoa NZ
2013 : Heath Killen, ʻAn interview with Catherine Griffiths’, Desktop, Australia
2010 : Mercedes Vicente, ʻInner-City Modality’, ProDesign, August 2010, Aotearoa NZ
2006 : Helen Walters, ʻLife in Italics’, Print magazine, USA
2003 : Justine Clark, ʻWriting by Types’, Artichoke magazine, Australia
_______published
2024 — PLATES #1: Manifesto vs Manifest, Related Department / Page Bureau, NY
2023 — Present Tense : Wāhine Toi Aotearoa — a paper record., Vapour Momenta Books, NZ
2021 — catherine griffiths: SOLO IN [ ] SPACE A documentation, Pocca, CHINA
2020 — Dwelling in the Margins, Katie Kerr, Gloria Books, NZ
2019 — Self-Portraits, Art Zone, NZ
2013 — Lettering Large: The Art and Design of Monumental Typography, Steven Heller/Mirko Ilić, Monacelli Press, USA
2013 — Desktop, cover design and feature interview, Heath Killen, Australia
2013 — LetterScapes, Anna Saccani, Thames and Hudson, UK
2013 — New Graphic Design, The 100 Best Contemporary Designers, Fiell, UK
2011 — Typographic 69, The Australian Issue, ISTD
2010 — ProDesign, Inner-City Modality, Mercedes Vicente, August 2010, Aotearoa [review]
2009 — Small Studios, published by HESIGN, Germany
2007 — Typo — the beautiful world of fonts, Fabiola Reyes, MONSA, Barcelona
2006 — Lettere Nascoste (Hidden Letters), James Clough and students, Milan, Italy
_______writing
2023 — ʻa paper record.’ (introduction), Present Tense : Wāhine Toi Aotearoa — a paper record. [editor, publisher, Vapour Momenta Books]
2021 — ʻAn installation on an installation on an installation ...’ (artist statement), catherine griffiths: SOLO IN [ ] SPACE A documentation, Pocca
2020 — ʻA Paper Vehicle’, Catherine Griffiths & Bruce Connew, Dwelling in the Margins, NZ
2019 — ʻFigures That Don’t Add Up’, Eye Magazine Blog
2018 — ʻ1997–2017, 43 Black Pins, 40 men, 3 women’, The Spinoff
2018 — ʻPeace’, Word—Form
2015 — ʻA meditation (Sir Ian Athfield, 1940—2015)’, Architecture Centre
2015 — ʻtyp gr ph c’, Strips Club
2013 — ʻFF ThreeSix’ (typeface review), Typographica
2012 — ʻTruly No Idea’, Desktop magazine
2012 — ʻLook for the Purple Lining’, Eye Magazine Blog
2011 — ʻShots in the Air’, Eye Blog
2011 — ʻJohn & Eye’ (feature), Prodesign
2011 — ʻQuite a Blast’ (conference review), Prodesign
2009 — ʻLocating Our Feet’, TypeSHED11, Threaded magazine
2007 — ʻNotes on Feijoa’ (typeface review), Prodesign
_______collections
Auckland Council Art Collection, Aotearoa NZ
Christchurch Art Gallery, Ōtautahi, Aotearoa NZ
Metropolitan Museum of Art Special Collection Library, USA
National Hangeul Museum, Seoul, KOREA
Shanghai University of Visual Art Museum, Shanghai, CHINA
Special Collection at the Art Institute of Chicago (books), USA
Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, NL
Te Papa Tongarewa, Aotearoa NZ
_______lectures / workshops / community
2024 — Juror: NewOne Awards, CHINA
2024 — Speaker: »Designers Speak (Up): A Manifesto for the Community« Tribal Design Forum, INDIA
2024 — Juror: Typography, D&AD Global Awards, UK
2024 — Speaker: »Upscaled«, Grimshaw Architects, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, NZ
2023 — Launch of PT:WTA — a paper record. at Te Tuhi, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, NZ
2023 — Launch of PT:WTA — a paper record. at Enjoy Contemporary Art Space, Pōneke, NZ
2023 — Launch of PT:WTA — a paper record. at 25th RAMP Festival, Kirikiriroa, NZ
2022 — Panelist: Counterparts Exhibition, Part One / Where To From Here, Melbourne, AUS
2022 — Guest Judge with Clare Athfield: Athfield Architects badge designs for staff
2022 — Speaker/Workshop: »Poster v Page«, ISIA Urbino, ITALY
2021 — Speaker: RAMP Festival, Kirikiriroa, NZ
2021 — Speaker: in conversation with Pocca at Bananafish Books, Shanghai, CHINA
2021 — Speaker: »Variation on a Theme« [1100h, 11 June NZT], Typographics NYC, USA
2020 — Kaitautoko: Te Reo on the Streets with ĀKAU and taitāmariki, Kaikohe, NZ
2019 — Speaker/Workshop: Upholding Te Tiriti and diversity in design, Designers Speak (Up) + Ngā Aho, Design for Social Innovation symposium, AUT, NZ
2019 — Speaker: Transformations, Parlour + University of Melbourne, AUS
2019 — Kaitautoko: Ngāti Hine Pou Kōrero, ĀKAU Futures!, Taumarere, NZ
2019 — Kaitautoko: Basketball Court, ĀKAU Communities!, Kaikohe, NZ
2019 — Speaker/Workshop: Visual Narratives, School of Design, VUW, NZ
2019 — Panelist: Present Tense : Wāhine Toi Aotearoa, Enjoy Contemprary Art Space, NZ
2019 — Speaker/Workshop: »Solo in [ ] Space«, Shanghai Institute of Visual Arts, CHINA
2019 — Panelist: Present Tense : Wāhine Toi Aotearoa, Ilam Campus Gallery, NZ
2019 — Panelist: Present Tense : Wāhine Toi Aotearoa, Laurel Projects, NZ
2019 — Speaker/Workshop: Present Tense : Wāhine Toi Aotearoa, RAMP Gallery, NZ
2019 — Curator, organiser: Present Tense : Wāhine Toi Aotearoa project + exhibition, NZ
2019 — Speaker: Type Directors Club exhibition, St Paul St Gallery 3, AUT, NZ
2018 — Founder: Designers Speak (Up); co-founder, Directory of Women Designers, NZ
2018 — typ gr ph c ... #6, »Format Limited« CG with Hamish Muir (UK), NZ
2017 — Speaker: Shanghai Art and Design Exhibition, CHINA
2017 — Speaker: CASS: A SERIOUS HOLIDAY, NZ
2017 — Tutor: Porto Design Summer School, PORTUGAL
2017 — Speaker: International Symposium on Typography, RMIT + NGV, AUS
2016 — Speaker: in conversation with Len Cheeseman, City Gallery Wellington, NZ
2016 — Panelist: PhotoBook NZ Festival, NZ
2015 — Speaker: Typojanchi 2015, 4th International Typography Biennale, KOREA
2015 — typ gr ph c ... #5, »Speech Practice« CG with online guests (NL), NZ
2015 — Juror: Gareth Morgan flag competition design jury, NZ
2015 — typ gr ph c ... #4, »work out work« CG with Tino Grass (DE), NZ
2014 — 2015 — Advisory Board: Typojanchi, pre-Biennale, KOREA
2014 — Speaker: Art + Book Symposium, opening lecture, Dunedin, NZ
2014 — Speaker: A Slight Return, (Graphic) Design School School Symposium, Cass, NZ
2014 — typ gr ph c ... #3, »Friday the 13th« CG with Warren Olds (NZ), NZ
2014 — typ gr ph c ... #2, »Stencil/Stencilled« CG with Paul Barnes (UK), NZ
2014 — typ gr ph c ... #1, »A Type of Improvisation« NZ
2013 — Speaker: Think Outside, Design Minds, Asia Pacific Design Library, AUS
2011 — Speaker/Workshop: »A Type of Improvisation« Design Assembly, NZ
2010 — Speaker: »Together, Alone« Designers Speak National Tour, NZ
2009 — Curator/Co-organiser (with Typevents Italy): TypeSHED11, NZ
2009 — Speaker: »Beautiful World of Typography« Govett-Brewster, NZ
2008 — Speaker: Alaska Design Forum, Anchorage and Fairbanks, USA
2007 — Juror: Typography, D&AD Global Awards, UK
2006 — Speaker: Arts Institute of Bournemouth, UK
2006 — Speaker: Fast Type, Slow Type, Birmingham, UK
2006 — Speaker: SPARK, International Festival of Media, Arts and Design, NZ
2005 — Organiser/Speaker: inaugural Designers Speak, NZ
2005 — Speaker: »I live at the edge of the universe« ATypI Helsinki, Finland
2005 — Book reading and interview: Typeradio, ATypI Helsinki
2004 — Juror: 20under40 annual ideas competition, Architecture Centre, NZ
2003 — Juror: BEST Design Awards, NZ
2003 — Speaker: »Journeying Through the Landcape of Passion, Disappointment and Hope« (x)periment, Adelaide, Australia
2002 — Speaker: »Journeying Through the Landcape« Landscape Design Conference, Wellington, NZ
2001 — Panelist: Judging a Book by Its Cover, Auckland Writers Festival, NZ
_______teaching
2024 — Guest lecturer, Saarbrucken, GERMANY
2022 — Guest teacher and speaker, five-day workshop, ISIA Urbino, ITALY
2020 — 2022 Lecturer, full-time, Victoria University of Wellington, NZ
2019 — ongoing: Kaitautoko, Design Collaborator, ĀKAU Studio + Foundation, Kaikohe, NZ
2019 — Mentor, Womentor Programme, NZ/International
2017 — Tutor, Porto Design Summer School, two weeks, PORTUGAL
2014 — 2018 typ gr ph c ... a series of occasional workshops, Karekare, NZ
1997 – 1999: teaching, Concepts to Published Work w/ Bruce Connew, Massey University, NZ
1994 – 1996: teaching in-studio, final semester thesis tutoring, Massey University, NZ
1994 — present: teaching, mentoring, workshops, lectures, portfolios, NZ/International
_______memberships
2015 — 2020: Advisory Board Member, Whitecliffe College of Art and Design
2008 — present: Member, The Printing Museum, NZ
2006 — 2014: Member, Type Directors Club, NYC
2006 — Professional Member, International Liaison Group Arts Institute Bournemouth, UK
2003 — 2010: Professional Member, DINZ
_______awards [up to 2017]
2017 — Finalist, The Gentle Hand + The Greedy Eye, Cornish Family Prize, NGV, AUS
2017 — Pinnacle Award, The Gentle Hand + The Greedy Eye, AGDA Awards, AUS
2016 — Judges’ Choice, The Gentle Hand + The Greedy Eye, AGDA Awards, AUS
2016 — Gold Pin, Local Architecture Awards Display Stand, Best Design Awards, NZ
2016 — Bronze, Zion Hill Reserve, Best Design Awards, NZ
2016 — Bronze, The Gentle Hand + The Greedy Eye, Best Design Awards, NZ
2015 — Winner, Bates Smart Award Media in Architecture, Parlour Guides, AUS
2015 — Shortlisted, ParlourLIVE!, Venice Architecture Biennale, Australia
2015 — Certificate of Excellence, »Self-portrait in C«, Type Directors Club, USA
2014 — Winner, submission for a pocket-sized park design, Auckland, NZ
2013 — Shortlisted, Point of Distance, Venice Architecture Biennale, NZIA
2013 — Bronze, »The Trestle Leg Series«, BEST Awards, NZ
2012 — Winner, submission for a light sculpture, O’Connell St, Auckland, NZ
2012 — Honorable Mention, »AEIOU«, Zgraf 11, Zagreb, Croatia
2010 — Gold Pin, »For the record«, TypeSHED11 book, BEST Awards, NZ
2010 — Silver, I Must Behave, artist book, BEST Awards, NZ
2010 — Bronze, »AEIOU, a typo/sound installation«, BEST Awards, NZ
2010 — Gold Medal, »For the record«, TypeSHED11, Pride in Print Awards, NZ
2009 — Best Cover, A Short History of Photography, BPANZ Book Design Awards, NZ
2009 — TypeSHED11 voted Best Design Event of the Year, Urbis Magazine, NZ
2008 — Finalist, Books, Stopover, D&AD Global Awards, UK
2006 — Recognition for Contribution to the Environment, Architecture Centre, NZ
2003 — Finalist, Typography, Wellington Writers Walk, D&AD Global Awards, UK
2003 — Winner, Environmental Graphics, Ponatahi House, BEST Awards, NZ
2002 — Winner, Environmental Graphics, Wellington Writers Walk, BEST Awards, NZ
2002 — Winner, STRINGER Award, Wellington Writers Walk, BEST Awards, NZ
1999 — Best in Show, On the way to an ambush, Strathmore Graphics Gallery Award, USA
1994 — Gold Medal, The $4billion Sheep, Pride in Print Awards, NZ
_______clients (since 1995, as independent designer)
ĀKAU Foundation / Ara Campus / Architecture+ / Architecture + Women A+W•NZ / Athfield Architects / Auckland City Mission / Auckland Council Public Art Team / AUT / BRANZ / Bruce Connew / Boffa Miskell / Creative New Zealand / CCS / Dance Aotearoa New Zealand / David Cohen / David Straight / Four Winds Press / Fulbright New Zealand / Gecko Press / Gecko & Co. / Hanne Johnsen + Gyldendal, Norway / Information Tools / Justine Clark / Kerstin Thompson Architects / Lela Jacobs / LOGAN Studio / Massey University Press / Medical Council of New Zealand / Minty Architecture / Monash University / MORST (Ministry of Research, Science + Technology) / Objectspace / Oliver Connew / Naomi Stead / New Zealand Institute of Architects / Parlour: gender, equity, architecture / Rachel Hurst / Random House NZ / REANNZ (Research, Education Advanced Network New Zealand) / Stevens Lawson Architects / Sydney Yoga Space / Toi MAHARA / Victoria University Press / Victoria University of Wellington / Wellington Airport / Wellington Branch of the New Zealand Society of Authors / Wellington Waterfront Limited / Wellington City Council / Whangārei Art Museum / Wools of New Zealand
[»« denotes title of own works / ʻ’ denotes title of writings, bibliogaphy]
Catherine Griffiths, Pākehā, is an Aotearoa New Zealand artist, typographer, designer, educator, curator, writer, publisher, activist and feminist.
Catherine studied Visual Communication Design at Wellington Polytechnic during the mid-80s, set up a studio space with two other graduates, then worked several years in London. She returned to Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington as a senior designer, and later set up her own studio practice in 1995 which she runs independently, and has returned to, after a two-year stint teaching as a full-time university lecturer.
Improvisation is critical to her art and design practice which moves between graphic design and typography, self-publishing, writing on design, and commissioned artworks and installations in public and private spaces, architectural and landscape. »catherine griffiths : SOLO IN [ ] SPACE« (2019), her first survey show of selected works, exhibited in Shanghai. A post-exhibition book of the same title, A documentation, was published in 2021.
Projects include the Wellington Writers Walk, a series of large-scale concrete text sculptures (2002, 2004); the curation and co-organisation of TypeSHED11, Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington (2009); and her ongoing Vowel series. A permanent public artwork »Light Weight O« gently pivots above a street space in central city Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.
Since 2019 she has assisted in a kaitautoko role with ĀKAU, engaging taitamariki Māori in design-led projects as part of the ĀKAU Futures! programme. She is active in the international design community, and hosts the occasional workshop, including the compact typ gr ph c series out of her forest studio. In 2018 she protested against gender and cultural inequities in design, founded the platform Designers Speak (Up), and curated the poster project and exhibition hīkoi, »Present Tense : Wāhine Toi Aotearoa«, now a book — a paper record., published by Vapour Momenta Books (2023).
She has exhibited in Aotearoa New Zealand, Australia, Chile, China, France and South Korea.
30.10.2023 New website for dancer, choreographer, Oliver Connew / www.oliverconnew.com
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19.08.2023 »7/7, 14 views«, Project Wall, curated by Andrew Kennedy, Te Tuhi, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, NZ
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11.08.2023 »Self-preservation« is one of 22 works in Sophia Smolenski: Offering It Up. Three years in the making, Smolenski’s installation uses the accoutrement of the mount-maker’s workshop and the furniture of exhibition display as frames for the presentation of 22 art works the artist has commissioned from a range of contemporary New Zealand makers who were invited to create items for display in response to mounts she first constructed for objects in her personal possession. Back of House, Adam Art Gallery,
12 August – 29 October 2023.
Office, storeroom, studio, workshop, archive. These are the hidden engine rooms that support the public presentation of art. Back of House turns the tables on the art gallery, bringing together artists, art works, curators and technicians who make the tools of their trade and their working processes the subject of three discrete presentations, a “live” archiving project, and a curated public programme.
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08.08.2023 Present Tense : Wāhine Toi Aotearoa — a paper record. [ed. Catherine Griffiths], published by Vapour Momenta Books, September 2023. Supported by Creative New Zealand and Lost Time.
18.07.2023 Launch of new website for Toi MAHARA designed with Peter Johns, Butterpaper, reveals the new visual identity in advance of the re-opening of the gallery building in October, redeveloped by Athfield Architects / toimahara.nz
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11.10.2022 — Blast from the past >>> record cover design, 1987, for ‘He Waiata Mo Te Iwi’ by political Māori band AOTEAROA. Jayrem Records hired me (21, young, enthusiastic and Pākehā) to design the cover for the band led by Ngahiwi Apanui with Joe Williams and others. What a massive privilege I remember thinking.
To this day, I can recall going in to Jayrem Records, being handed the material, then designing and making this artwork: slicing up the b&w photograph (!), painting koru-like swirls (!!) onto Mylar film, another layer to the mechanical artwork we’d make back then, all by hand, with bromides of phototypesetting, Futura condensed, expanded, letter-spaced (I used this A LOT back then), coarse half-tone dot screen in the green (ah all SO eighties) — but this was real cut & paste.
The Tai e logo on the vinyl itself is way more sophisticated, and I’ve always wondered who designed it. I also illustrated and designed a cover for reggae band, Dread, Beat & Blood (might share that later).
Read more about AOTEAROA in this piece by Chris Bourke for Audio Culture >>> “Heaps of Pākehā musicians say ‘Your stuff is political, you’re pushing this stuff on us,’” says Apanui. “And I say, ‘Look. Everything that you sing about, what you wear, the way you look, the language you speak, reflects where you’ve come from, where your people are at. So don’t tell me I haven’t the right to do that as well.’”
Plus other context: A Playlist: CG >> CG for the DPAG Late Breakfast Show hosted by Chloe Geoghegan back in 2014.
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10.06.2021 — Speaker: Typographics NYC — 35 speakers, representing more than 25 countries, focused on the contemporary use of type. Heartfelt thanks to Troy Leinster and Typographics for the invitation to be part of this incredible line-up and festival.
Variation on a Theme takes a wander through a series of typographic and vowel-based interventions, interactions and deviations, where language, double-meaning and word-play are at the centre. This talk is another take on A Type of Improvisation (2011–), and Journeying into the Landscape [of Passion, Disappointment and Hope (2002–08), with recent study »So far: a map of projects, a drawing« (2017, installed 2019) for context around process and practice [11:00h, 11 June NZT].
05.12.2020 A Vocabulary, Bruce Connew, exhibition and artist book [Vapour Momenta Books, 2021], Te Uru Waitākere Contemporary Gallery, Titirangi, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland
The exhibition comprises the 604pp artist book [the shelf] / 79 framed works (a selection of images with reference to the artist book of 306 works) and introduction, A vocabulary of colonisation [the walls] / He Mihi and excerpts from the book’s He Mōteatea The Lament & essay by Rangihīroa Panoho [the plinth]
A Vocabulary is made in Aotearoa with the assistance of Creative NZ ... “Arohanui to all those who have endorsed this journey with their trust and generosity”, Bruce Connew
13.10–17.11.2019 »catherine griffiths: SOLO IN [ ] SPACE«, survey show, The Space Gallery, Shanghai, China / poster: Zhihua Duan + Catherine Griffiths
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14.02.2019 Call for posters: Present Tense : Wāhine Toi Aotearoa, a poster + exhibition project
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01.11.2018 John Scott Works, David Straight / book and touring exhibition, Objectspace (2019), Hastings Art Gallery (2019), Centre of Contemporary Art, Ōtautahi (2020)
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09.10.2018 Launch of the Directory of Women* Designers by Designers Speak (Up)
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01.08.2018 opening of »Light Weight O« / photo: David Straight
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21.07.2018 The Best Design Awards, three posters: 1997–2017, 43 Black Pins awarded, 40 men, 3 women / 2018 Best Awards Jury, 46 men, 15 women ... how has this happened, where are the women? >> read
The posters were followed by the August launch of Designers Speak (Up), an open and democratic platform for all designers in Aotearoa New Zealand to have a voice
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27.06.2018 installation of »Light Weight O«, a mirror-faced, brass-backed object suspended above O’Connell Street, downtown Auckland, Tāmaki Makaurau, Aotearoa New Zealand / photo: Bruce Connew
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Invited by Jack Mussett to write on the word ‘Peace’ for Word—Form, the piece I wrote has sat with me for some time, waiting to be told. See also A whakapapa, two lines of women
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Kihi/Kiss ... the sixth iteration in my Vowel series »Kihi/Kiss« a 15 - metre long carpet section for Wellington Airport’s main lounge, designed back in 2015/2016 when, “... if it’s not a pocket-sized park, it’s a 400 page book, if it’s not a 400 page book, it’s a bespoke display system, if it’s not a bespoke display system, it’s an airport carpet, if it’s not an airport carpet, it’s another vowel installation coming on [»Collidescape«] ... everything now!”.
On top, the night Awoiska van der Molen, friend and photographer, launched Bruce Connew’s book »Body of Work« at The Keep, Prince died
... and a few months later I found my Māori whānau in Oparure ... Make what you wish of all this, but »Kihi/Kiss« pays attention to these moments of intersection — not out of place in an airport lounge. Now in production, and another length of time I’m told, before the terminal’s main lounge will be ready for installation.
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LEGS typeface, exploration in seven weights, open for development
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Format Limited, sixth in the typ gr ph c series, a one-day workshop with CG + Hamish Muir (UK), 18.05.2018
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Ended 2017 in graphic design mode — Interstices 18 SURFACE / PATTERN: Journal of architecture and related arts. Edited by Andrew Douglas, Ross Jenner, Susan Hedges; published by enigma : he aupiki, December 2017
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Shanghai Art and Design Exhibition 2017, December 3—13: Catherine was one of three women and 22 men invited to exhibit ... five were flown from various countries to attend the opening ceremony and give a talk the following day. Many thanks to Zhihua Duan and the curators Rong Cheng and Yibing Xu, a terrific few days. See Work/Space
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Cass: A Serious Holiday, sequel to 2014’s A Slight Return was a welcome home-coming after months away in Europe: 15 designers together in the mountains of the South Island to talk on the theme of possibility. Curated and organised by Katie Kerr with Luke Wood and Aaron Beehre.
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In July, Catherine joined Andrew Howard and Hamish Muir as core tutor at the fifth edition of the two-week long Porto Design Summer School. UK book cover designer David Pearson arrived in the second week as guest tutor. A brilliant two weeks, together with 22 international attendees, most of them practising designers, organised (and generously hosted) by Andrew and family. Read Looking back on the fifth edition.
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Finalist / The Gentle Hand + The Greedy Eye: an everyday baroque practice in architecture: a finalist publication of the 2017 Cornish Family Prize for Art and Design Publishing, presented by the National Gallery of Victoria, Australia, as part of the Melbourne Art Book Fair.
International Symposium on Typography, March 16, 2017. Keynote presenters are Radim Peško, London; Sara De Bondt, Amsterdam; Mia Frostner and Robert Sollis of Europa, London; Vincent Chan, Melbourne; and Catherine Griffiths, Auckland, moderated by Brad Haylock. Presented by the RMIT Design Futures Lab and the National Gallery of Victoria / part of Melbourne Art Book Fair 2017.
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All Lines Converge, group exhibition, 17.12.2016 — 20.03.2017, Govett-Brewster Art Gallery, NZ
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Winner of the AGDA 2016 Pinnacle Award and Judges Choice in the Publications category for The Gentle Hand + The Greedy Eye, AUSTRALIA
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Typojanchi 2015, 4th International Typography Biennale: invited to speak and exhibit a new work. See AEIOU — Constructed/Projected. Advisory Board Member since August 2014 for the pre-Biennale newsletter project with Adrian Shaughnessy (Chief), Rob Giampietro, Peter Bilak, Catherine Griffiths, Tetsuya Goto. The portrait above is by the charming Ahn Sang-soo — another addition to one.eye, KOREA
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The Alphabet Project, 2015, one of 26 international typographers invited to participate in a 26 day take-over of the front cover of the local newspaper, Sentinel & Enterprise, Fitchburg, Massachussets, USA. Curated by Anna Schuleit Haber. My ‘U’ was published August 5th, USA
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typ gr ph c 2015 :: #5 :: Speech Practice workshop with Catherine Griffiths & online guests, Sandra Kassenaar and David Bennewith (NL), and Matthew Galloway, co-curator with CG of Figures of Speech, 31 July 2015, Auckland, NZ
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Interviewed by The Design Kids, AUS: “We get the pleasure of chatting to New Zealand typography legend herself, Catherine Griffiths. Catherine splits her time between Auckland and Paris – so so cool! She shares with us three naughty things she did to get ahead in the industry and how she got started in her career.”
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ParlourLIVE!: honoured to be part of the Parlour team headed by Justine Clark and Dr Naomi Stead — Clark/Stead/Griffiths/Gusheh/Young. Shortlisted for the role of Creative Director/Team for the Australian Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2016.
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typ gr ph c 2015 .... #4 .... »work out work« workshop with Catherine Griffiths & Tino Graß (GERMANY), 13–14 February 2015, Auckland, NZ
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Poster representing the city of Auckland, for the 2015 Fête du Graphisme, Paris.
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BRAIN, Japan: cover design for October issue of BRAIN advertising + design magazine, including a double page spread profile. Won a Certificate of Excellence at the TDC Awards, 2015.
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Window, posters and postcards for University of Auckland’s Window Gallery, curated by Victoria Wynne-Jones, Nicola Verdon and Timothy Wagg.
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typ gr ph c ........ is a project by Studio Catherine Griffiths: a series of occasional workshops for typographers, designers and artists looking to experiment outside usual spaces, in thought and practice. The first, A Type of Improvisation, was held on 7th February 2014. The second, in April, was a duet with Paul Barnes, and the third, a duet with Warren Olds in June.
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Point of Distance: the title of our submission for which our team SJ/JC/CG (with Justine Clark and Sharon Jansen) was shortlisted for the role of Creative Director/Team for New Zealand’s formal presence at the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2014. The NZIA s elected architect David Mitchell and team for the role, the result of which is on show at Venice.
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Diverse Practice, a paper-folded installation for Architecure + Women was a very nice collaboration with Australian architect, Kerstin Thompson. I am currently designing a new visual identity for KTA.
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Fifth Movement, the third in the vowels series: a private commission with Athfield Architects is part of a wider story on my text-based works in Art New Zealand’s 150th issue. The house (and art work) was also featured in the October 2013 issue of HOME, and spotted in Air New Zealand’s inflight magazine.
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further reading / looking / listening
A Playlist for the DPAG Late Breakfast Show, hosted by Chloe Geoghegan, August 2014
