I was always drawing as a kid, and when the opportunity came up to do an art course at age 17 I went for it. Twenty-three years later with multiple certificates and a degree in Maori Visual Arts, I decided to do one more course: Level 3 Cooking and Hospitality.
And ever since then I have never come back to art. Another 20 years passed cooking as a pro chef in New Zealand and Australia, till I was arrested a year ago. Coming into prison not knowing what my future was going to be, all I could do was train every day, until I saw another inmate drawing. Then I remembered I know how to draw.
So I started sending drawings home to my partner – she has over 300 drawings to date.
Eventually I started turning the drawings into cards with a bar code on the back with my min number.
Eventually other inmates wanted cards as well, which I was always happy to do. During this time, the chef at work asked if I wanted to paint on the wall and do a mural. Then I was asked to do all four PODs and then the clinic.
The paintings are of Australian animals and landscapes – as well as an ANZAC memorial in every POD. I think this is an awesome representation of all nations, which I am not only privileged to do but grateful for, with the opportunities it has given me and other inmates.
I have just given drawings to the chapel and will continue if I am sentenced to more time or I am to be deported back to New Zealand. No matter which way this goes, I will continue to draw and paint murals in or out of prison.
Until then, I will draw my way out of prison.
I was always drawing as a kid, and when the opportunity came up to do an art course at age 17 I went for it. Twenty-three years later with multiple certificates and a degree in Maori Visual Arts, I decided to do one more course: Level 3 Cooking and Hospitality.
And ever since then I have never come back to art. Another 20 years passed cooking as a pro chef in New Zealand and Australia, till I was arrested a year ago. Coming into prison not knowing what my future was going to be, all I could do was train every day, until I saw another inmate drawing. Then I remembered I know how to draw.
So I started sending drawings home to my partner – she has over 300 drawings to date.
Eventually I started turning the drawings into cards with a bar code on the back with my min number.
Eventually other inmates wanted cards as well, which I was always happy to do. During this time, the chef at work asked if I wanted to paint on the wall and do a mural. Then I was asked to do all four PODs and then the clinic.
The paintings are of Australian animals and landscapes – as well as an ANZAC memorial in every POD. I think this is an awesome representation of all nations, which I am not only privileged to do but grateful for, with the opportunities it has given me and other inmates.
I have just given drawings to the chapel and will continue if I am sentenced to more time or I am to be deported back to New Zealand. No matter which way this goes, I will continue to draw and paint murals in or out of prison.
Until then, I will draw my way out of prison.
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It is not a pleasurable experience. It is very difficult to face all those emotions and reflect over the course of your whole life.
I remember our living room used to be filled with hundreds of CDs. My mum is where my love of music came from.
You can have as many support workers and parole officers as you can get, but it will never make you stop doing crimes. It has to come from within yourself.
I have read in quite a few issues that other inmates have been feeling the same sting of phone charges that I was.
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