Artist in residence 11th August – 22nd September 2026.
It is always a pleasure to be able to bring artists who reside away from Ōpunakē into the gallery as exhibitors – a wonderful chance for the visitors and supporters of the gallery to enjoy meeting fibre artists that they would normally not encounter on their own patch. So over the years we have invited many such artists and sometimes they are able to really enrich our gallery community by being in Residence as well. Heidi resides in Thames on the Coromandel so she is definitely in this category. As Heidi will be here for her 6 week exhibition we will have a wonderful opportunity to get to know her. Thank you Heidi for becoming part of our gallery family, welcome.
Heidi Monks’ Artist Statement.
The visceral thrill I feel when working with plant and other natural dyes is why I work as I do. Standing at a cauldron, stirring with a large stick, managing indigo vats, unwrapping a bundle, witnessing the patterns that manifest, a hidden language, forms that emerge unbidden, the unexpected, the surprises, sparks something deep inside that makes me know I am alive. My work speaks to, upholds and reveals the hidden worlds.
For more than fifteen years I have had a practice that focusses on working with natural dyes and earth pigments. Although I had previously screen printed on textiles, this journey began with the discovery of India Flint’s seminal book eco colour; this and subsequent workshops with India were pivotal. My gaze turned sideways from my profession of landscape architecture to a deeper investigation, into working with plants for colour, pattern and texture on cloth and paper. The work feels ancient and primal and I am honoured that the plants chose to speak to me in this way. I love being an ambassador for a far gentler way of being in the world of clothing and textiles.
My practice involves working with many textiles, preloved and new, working to transform these with plant material and natural dyes such as cochineal and lac, earth pigments, organic indigo, shibori resist techniques, mordents such as soy, tannin, alum and iron, drawing and making marks with mordents, resist pastes and stitch. I add pieces of felted wool and silk, screen printed with images from my student days. Each layer adds to the story, acknowledges the physical and metaphysical worlds at play.
I love to push the boundaries and break the rules of what may have been considered acceptable. I see this as a function of art, to show different perspectives and challenge accepted thinking. While I delight in and revere the beauty and skill of craft work I also like to celebrate the imperfect, that which can be considered less than beautiful, allowing to manifest what may previously have remained unseen. I see this as honouring the whole ness of the work and who we are, on many levels. The paradox and the polarities dancing to find balance.
I am aware that there are many layers literally and metaphysically to what I do and allowing the intangible to manifest demonstrates the connection between my work and my own personal journey. The language of textiles – threads, weaving, knitting, tapestry, warp and weft, is frequently used to describe the passage of time and the journey of the soul in this life and to me the work I do is sacred. It is an expression of my truth, enabling me to express what is often intangible. I recognise this by the thrill and joy I feel and the beauty of what I see being manifested, that which is not always visible.
My work often reveals elemental beings to me and for this reason I have worked with the name soulwhispers. They seem to whisper their appreciation for being allowed to appear.
Making ritual and celebratory items, medicine blankets, altar cloths, cloaks, dream pods, offerings, dream shawls and fairy frocks, frequently working with pre-loved textiles, and hand stitching is a hallmark of my work. I am lit up from the inside. It is slow making at a time of fast paced expectations from the demanding world. I am increasingly aware of massive change all around us, and alternative methods of functioning as communities, and as society are needed.
I am taking my time listening as deeply as I can, attempting to understand my role, and I see that this practise is my work. It is my offering. I take small steps and shine my light into an often-darkening world. I love the mystery, the magic, the alchemy of what manifests, I celebrate the apparent imperfections, the paradox and the polarities that dance and radiate, hide and reveal, forever seeking balance.
Heidi Monks Residency Statement 2026. This Is My Medicine.
Heidi has a well considered plan for her time at ‘from out of the blue studio gallery’.
I have never had an artist residency and when I asked for this opportunity it was a response to and an honouring of a long-held dream. More than simply ticking off an item on a bucket list, I discovered that this work is my medicine in that it heals me and it is my offering to the world too. Working with textiles in combination with natural dyes has uncovered an art form that allows me to manifest that which is not always visible, and as such is deeply personal. I witness the arrival of what is created and birthed and fall in love with the mystery and beauty of being alive.
I have not had any real expectation about what this residency means other than the idea that it would give me time to focus on an aspect of my practice. I do know that I have always thrilled to show my work
The work I am preparing for the exhibition is based upon a linen piece, Navigating the Endless Sea, Antennae Radiating. I dyed this cloth with tannin and iron, drawing with a resist paste something that expressed how I felt at the time. Slightly adrift, aware of the vastness of life, of the universe and beyond, the unfathomable deep. I knew I was navigating with my antennae on high alert. But within the form that manifested were places to rest and pause, to recuperate and regenerate. Very much like the dream pods I frequently make.
As time passes I realise this is actually how I live my life and this is how I am approaching the work that will appear for exhibition. Trust in the journey. Allow myself to play. Not always so easy but I welcome the opportunity to try.
As I am setting up my exhibition at the start of my time in Opunake, I have thought to explore something completely new in my 6-week residency. What keeps recurring is the idea of making and learning to work with a back-strap loom. I think it is an opportunity to bring together many threads literally and of my life that I have wanted to weave together to discover the story they may create in this union.
I also plan to be in the gallery when it is open. I can talk to any visitors, be in the space that has so generously offered this opportunity to me. I would like the opportunity to work with others in the community while in residence and am thinking about facilitating one or two play days to perhaps explore the making of inks and brushes from the local environment if this is an acceptable idea. I feel open to allowing what emerges in this regard.
To me creative expression in any form is an essential aspect of being human, necessary for wholeness and healing. I am grateful to Viv Davy and from out of the blue studio gallery for this opportunity and acknowledge the trepidation I have encountered at revealing myself. However I take the challenge in this to grow and evolve and look forward to my time in residence.
We are very excited about this chance to get to know Heidi and her beautiful practice. Details of the activities she will be undertaking will be posted on SM closer to the time so stay tuned.
Heidi has responded to our written interview questions so we can get to know her more before she arrives.:
What initially attracted you to the methods you use for your art practice?
A sense of deep familiarity, as if something ancient speaks through my genes. A visceral thrill of recognition.
What or who were your early influences and how has your life/upbringing influenced your work?
My paternal grandmother died when I was four but I remember sitting at her sewing machine, with a knee operated control bar that I was allowed to work. My mother made all the family clothing, and she taught me to knit, sew, smock and embroider, as well as expecting me to help in household duties like taking care of younger siblings and cooking food. My father was the traditional breadwinner, who also grew all our vegetables and was handy with a range of tools he used in his workshop. I was born in the 1950s and making do was active in my world and so without thinking about it I have always been creative, and looked for alternative ways to express myself uniquely. My love of clothing definitely came from both my parents, but my mother made me many gorgeous dresses that I still recall fondly.
What was your route to becoming an artist?
Although I have always been creative, and worked as a jeweller for many years with sterling silver and later with beads it was when I was studying for my Bachelor of Landscape Architecture degree at UNITEC that my inner artist spoke up loudly in a dream, claiming her place in my world. Once I heard this there was no turning back and although it took a few years, once I discovered India Flint’s book eco colour my gaze was permanently averted from my profession. I began experimenting with plants and dyeing, attended several workshops with India and began showing my eco printed work in markets and galleries. I spent many years upcycling pre-loved garments and once held a fashion show of over 80 garments I had made. Joining with other artists in support groups and exhibiting my work gave me confidence to step more fully into this role. Now I have officially retired and have the freedom to develop and play, and it thrills me to my core to say I am a textile artist.
Tell us a bit about your process from conception to creation please.
Essentially I am a natural dyer and my process always includes naturally dyed textiles. Different pieces will have different processes however I always have ideas I want to play with. My process of creating work is experimental, an attempt to see what will be revealed at each step of the way. As my work has been so varied it is not easy to speak of a particular process but I love to combine different techniques to discover how they work together.
Conception for my work has been influenced by dreams and images seen in meditation as well as themes for group shows or requests for commissions. Usually I have an idea as a starting place and the rest follows.
Generally I work in series and in order for this to happen I gather a collection of variously dyed textiles and threads before beginning projects and I will make a number of similar items that push the boundaries of what I am exploring as far as I can go. There will be a theme that runs through the work. I usually reach a point of knowing this is enough and time to begin a new body of work. This may be influenced by a deadline too.
As I work I will often make a decision to go in a particular direction and know simultaneously that I also want to make another piece that goes in a different way. Marks I make will inform my decision about how to develop each piece further. I might decide to overlay another piece of fabric or add another layer of dye or add some stitching. Often, I let the needle and thread take me on a journey.
Currently I am exploring what is hidden and what is revealed when combining techniques and generally this involves gathering together dyed textiles to begin layering, as well as layering with dyes alone.
There is a lot of waiting with this work, time to pause and reflect. Slow making as a counterbalance to the fast-paced world.
You have a wide range of patterns and arrangements and objects in your portfolio of works. Can you describe some of your chosen techniques and how you choose to use them?
Recently I have been able to screen print using iron and tannin and this has been a breakthrough for me. I have screen printed many textiles in the past; silk scarves, t shirts, bedding, drapes, but once I discovered natural dyes and realised how important working this way is, I was on a mission to bring these into the screen print process.
Something I have loved to replicate in this manner has been projects from my landscape architecture student days. I have retained a number of photo screens with designs on them that I have been exploring and so I am witnessing the cycling of time as I revisit my past with a new eye, through a different lens.
I have been enjoying working with tannins and iron in various ways. I discovered mark making and creating patterns, and have become rather fascinated with the relationships each mark has with that adjacent to it, and how the individual marks collaborate to create something new. I wish to explore this further yet.
I find myself bringing together felted wool pieces too which over the years have taken many characters, tree spirits and dream pods and I simply love playing with the pieces as I feel them with their own life and their own trajectories.
What currently inspires you?
The journey of preparation for this show has really taken me into myself and I feel like reaching out and exploring what others are doing. In some ways I have closed myself off to the world wanting to discover my own expression within the medium of natural dyes and textiles and it has been interesting witnessing myself return to familiar forms again and again.
As my exhibition date draws close I am feeling I want to extend my wings and explore in a different way, and I have been playing a little with three dimensional work though there is more to be experimented with here.
Is there a piece of your work that holds particularly fond memories for you and why?
Actually this is difficult as I truly love all the work I have done. Perhaps I could speak of three cloaks I have made. They are far from perfect in their construction and are more about revealing an impression or telling a story. They are costume that allows an aspect of the inner me to be revealed.
A Shawl for the Shadowdreamer is a Ruana shape, basically a large rectangle with a split up the front, that is reversible; one side white linen gauze patched with black and white screen printed images, (the shadow side) and the other side has patches of plant dyed silk roughly stitched before the whole was felted with ragged edges. This was part of my show If it Were My Dream in Pukekohe.
Vestement for the Lightbringer was shown at Threads of Light at Vessel Gallery in Thames. This comprises layers of indigo shibori dyed linen gauze, hand stitched and then felted with merino batting, in a circle form.
The final one I love is also a reversible Ruana shape; created in a workshop with India Flint on the East Cape at Waihau Bay. One side is organic cotton the other silky merino and the whole bundled in an eco dye pot, with locally sourced plants and thus demonstrating how the different fabrics take the plant dyes. This is a ritual garment for me, holding the memory and energy of the liminal place we lived and worked for 5 days, by the vast ocean, where we were engulfed, and transported into a magical and alternate realm.
With each piece I was exploring different and new ways of working with patchwork, stitch and dye at the time of making. I think I love each of these pieces because they enable a part of myself that is not often seen to be revealed. I feel powerful and alive and authentic when I wear them. I don’t find it easy to speak these words aloud about myself, but it feels really good to let my light shine and to step into this inner knowing of who I am.
How has your work developed since you began and how do you see it evolving in the future?
My dye work really began with eco printing and I loved working in this way for many years. It was a relief to break away from this and begin to explore other ways to express what I see and experience in my life. I do love eco printing and the fact that people are working with nature this way delights me. The quiet activist in me became passionate about the gentle, ancient and respectful way of adding colour to textile with plant dyes and earth pigments, and my work began to expand into working with other plants and especially indigo. I was gifted a collection of plant dyes and slowly I work my way through these, joining them with the vast collection of textiles that I have in my stash.
What advice would you give to young people considering following their dream of being a full time artist?
To learn to listen to what your heart wants, to trust your inner guidance. Your body will tell you to play and discover what thrills you.
What is something you cannot take your eyes off when you see it – that fascinates and mesmerises you?
From my home I look north across the Kaeauranga River valley to a range of hills and I love watching the mist; it comes down the valley nestling between the hills, simultaneously hiding and revealing their varied forms. The multitudinous greens of the vegetation catch the light and the shifting shadows provide an endless changing vista and feast for my eyes. This combined with the big sky and the moving clouds is something I can watch for hours.
What is your favourite way to unwind or de-stress?
When I am full to bursting with life and work I will watch movies or read to completely let the world disappear for a while, to be transported temporarily into an alternate reality. Or I will visit the nearby waters of the Firth of Thames or the Kauaeranga River and let the movement of the water flow through my being. In winter I love to sit by my fire and allow the flames, the patterns, the colours, to speak to me.
Heidi Monks’ Life Journey/CV
My life has been full and varied and I acknowledge that my early experiences, assisting at my mother’s and grandmother’s apron strings, contribute to the richness of my skills and my love of fabric. I call myself a textile artist, as I work with natural fabrics and dyes in a practice that merges craft, art and making. Therefore I am also a maker and a craft worker; the labels shapeshift and matter less than the work I do.
However, claiming my inner artist, the depth of the yearning to express this way came to me powerfully in a dream while I was studying at UNITEC and this could not be ignored.
Brief CV.
2004: BLA degree from UNITEC. 6 years of study as a mature student combined with being a parent, part time tutor and a homemaker, was pivotal in giving me a creative focus.
2010: Certificate in Celebrant Studies issued by Te Wananga Korowhai Aroha, Celebrant School taught me the depth and sacredness of ritual and ceremony in a world often bereft of such.
2015: Diploma in Flower Therapy issued by First Light Flower Essences of New Zealand. I learned to work with flower essences, vibrational medicine, and to this day love this gentle yet potent medicine.
The above three achievements are intertwined in my life. They speak to the science of interconnectivity, that everything is energy and vibration and that respect and honour of Nature and all forms of life is a sacred practice. That creativity and wellbeing walk hand in hand and nothing stands in isolation.
Since recognizing my need to express creatively I have been in several groups with other women artists which supported my growth and confidence. We began to exhibit our work and I discovered the thrill in doing so, especially as my work was well received, and I have facilitated and taught a number of classes and workshops. I currently am in a group with two other women artists in Thames and we are planning an exhibition in Hamilton for October 2026.
In 2015 I was a Finalist in Emerging Artist Awards in the upstairs art gallery, Lopdell House Titirangi and this felt pivotal in cementing my path.
Solo shows I have held are:
2015. Scratching the Surface, Mining the Deep. Five Medicine Blankets at Ethos Café, New Lynn
2015. Ritual Rags and Ceremonial Cloth East West Gallery, New Lynn.
2016. Emerging from the Forest Fashion Show at Macandrew Hall, Titirangi.
2017. Once Rejected Twice Shy: Medicine Blankets, Geoff Wilson Window Space Gallery, NorthTec, Whangarei
2021. If it Were My Dream Community Gallery, Franklin County, Pukekohe. Exploration of a dream of the night.
2023. Threads of Light Vessel Gallery, Thames.
Group shows I have been part of include, but are not limited to:
2013. Artmas: Barrel Store Gallery, Corban Estates Art Centre, Henderson.
2014. Artmas 2, Barrel Store Gallery, Corban Estates Art Centre, Henderson.
2015. Aroha: flag for Solace, Andamooka Opal Fields, South Australia. Curator India Flint.
2016. Full Circle East West Gallery, New Lynn.
Gum and Sweet Gum. Print Show George Malcom Centre, Takapuna,
2017. Develop David Lloyd Gallery, Hamilton.
2017. Kings Theatre Creative, Spring Show, Kawakawa.
2018. Shawl for the Shadow Dreamer in David Lloyd Gallery, 10th Birthday Exhibition. Hamilton.
2018. Changing Threads, Nelson
2017, 2018. 25 Trees of Christmas, Makers and other shows in Kuautunu Steiner Kindergarten.
2019. Tree Spirit Dreaming in Go Small, at the Framing House in Hamilton.
2019. Tree Spirit Calling. Added to Tree Sisters Quilt.
2023, 2024. Vessel Gallery, several member shows. Thames
2019, 2020, 2023, 2025. Franklin Art Show Pukekohe.
I am challenged by the intellectual aspect of defining my work, as an enormous part of my practise including this exhibition in particular is to work with the intelligence of my heart. This is deeply personal as I navigate the energy fields surrounding me, expressing the intangible, the ineffable, sharing the beauty I discover being revealed.
The piece Adrift in a Sea of Energy, Antennae Radiating speaks to how I find myself in my life. For this I must trust my internal navigation system, let go of expectation and learn to play.
Heidi has an Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/soulwhispersnz/
Please see more about her exhibition on: https://fromoutofthebluestudiogallery.com/this-is-my-medicine-heidi-monks-13th-august-21st-september-2026/