Artist Q&A and performance

Paradise of Imagination

Saturday 1 November | 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

An afternoon of events dedicated to the exhibition Paradise of Imagination: Medieval & Modern Encounters.

At 1pm, there will be a Q&A with exhibiting artist Kushana Bush and Anya Samarasinghe, curator of the exhibition.

From 2pm, enjoy a performance of medieval and medieval-influenced pieces by music ensemble Rare Byrds.

Kushana Bush was born in 1983 in Ōtepoti, New Zealand where she lives and works. Her residencies and awards include the University of Otago Frances Hodgkins Fellowship in 2011 and New Zealand Arts Foundation New Generation Award in 2013. Her major solo exhibition and publication The Burning Hours was toured by Dunedin Public Art Gallery throughout New Zealand from 2016-17. Her work has been included in exhibitions internationally including Australia, South America and the United Kingdom. In 2026, Kushana has a solo exhibition of new work at The Dowse, Wellington and will be exhibiting in a show of Greatest Hits from QAGOMA’s Australia Pacific Triennial at London's Victoria & Albert Museum.

Anya Samarasinghe is an art historian and emerging curator. She received her PhD from The University of Auckland Waipapa Taumata Rau in 2023 and is the 2025 Ihupukutaka Kairaupī Curatorial Intern at Dunedin Public Art Gallery. Her research and publications have focused on Victorian art collections in Aotearoa’s public art galleries, Pre-Raphaelitism, and the reception of ancient Egypt and medieval culture in Aotearoa.

Rare Byrds are a Dunedin-based early music consort specialising in Medieval, Renaissance and early Baroque music. The group formed in 2009 and since then has performed in a wide range of settings and events, including house concerts, school programmes, puppet shows, fire performances, and weddings. The group currently includes players of the spinet, portative organ, recorders, and nyckelharpa. They firmly believe in the power of music to combat social disharmony.

1pm–3pm Saturday 1 November
Dunedin Public Art Gallery Foyer
Free – all welcome

[Image: Kushana Bush, The Covered Hours, 2016 (detail). Gouache and pencil on paper. Private collection.]

 

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