Revolutionary Calligraffiti artist Niels Shoe Meulman (NSM) is coming to Auckland to spread the magic about his writing style movement that fuses masterful calligraphy skills with the speed and attitude of graffiti.

Unruly Gallery in association with Saatchi & Saatchi presents Calligraffiti Upside Down Tour, a site-specific art exhibition by NSM in their brand new gallery in Parnell from 9 February to 9 March. A presentation by DSM will also be hosted by AUT Art & Design School and Design Institute New Zealand (DINZ) at AUT Design & Art School on 8 February

Under his Shoe moniker, the Amsterdam born and raised artist was a graffiti legend by the time he was 18. He earned his stripes in the global graffiti scene in the 80’s through his pioneering style, adding a distinct European approach to the discipline, and formed the Crime Time Kings graffiti crew with Bando from Paris and Mode2 from London. In the 90’s NSM trained with Dutch graphic design guru Anthon Beeke, established the award-winning design studio Caulfield & Tensing and then became a partner in advertising agency Unruly that he later turned into a brand for silk scarves and a gallery.

In 2007 he launched the Calligraffi revolution with a solo exhibition, and the style became celebrated in the book Calligraffiti, the Graphic Art of Niels Shoe Meulman published by FHTE, Berlin. Since then he’s been moving towards a painting style that can be described as Abstract Expressionism with a Calligraphic origin.

The Calligraffiti Upside Down Tour has included exhibitions, book signings, live mural painting and lectures in Sydney and Melbourne, and after Auckland NSM heads to Singapore, London and San Francisco.

Unruly Gallery presents:

Calligraffiti Upside Down Tour

Auckland, New Zealand

February 8 AUT / DINZ Lecture/Presentation

February 9 – March 9 Saatchi & Saatchi Exhibition

www.calligraffiti.nl

www.nielsshoemeulman.com

www.unrulygallery.com

Calligraffiti Upsdie Down Tour – May Lane Live Paint Project in Sydney last Friday – More here.

Fat Freddy’s Drop will be feeding some lucky fans when band member Iain Gordon cooks his world famous Paua Wontons at the ONE DROP shows in early January.

Keyboardist and cook, Iain Gordon aka Dobie Blaze, will be accompanied by fellow Freddy’s, band members (including Hopepa on DJ duties) as he folds, cooks, and serves free Paua Wontons at Ascension Wine Estate, Matakana on 2nd January and Black Barn Vineyards, Havelock North on 7th January.

The Euro Asian Pacific fried fantasy party pleaser will be served to the first 100 people with ONE DROP tickets that make it through the gates to each of the cooking shows. It’ll be the place to be, just follow your nose to The Oak Grill Bistro at Ascension or the Grower’s Market at Black Barn.

The concept of serving Paua Wontons to the people before the shows follows a successful cooking demo that Gordon and Freddy’s presented on the Chef’s Unplugged stage at Harvest at Jimmy’s Festival in the UK earlier this year.

Since then the band have filmed and released a video, ‘FAT FREDDY’S DROP PRESENTS KISS DA COOK Episode 3: PAUA WONTONS with Chilli Quince Sauce’. The video follows the Paua Wontons recipe from the ocean to the plate and features the band’s party tune The Nod.

Following the Paua Wontons entrée, the live music on the menu for ONE DROP at Ascension Wine Estate features Fat Freddy’s Drop, TrinityRoots and Cornerstone Roots, while ONE DROP at Black Barn Vineyards, Havelock North features Fat Freddy’s Drop and The Nudge.

For more information on the ONE DROP shows click here.

Friday 9th December 2011 @ San Francisco Bath House, WELLINGTON

Doors 9PM, Tickets: eventfinder.co.nz & Rough Peel Music, Vivian St

JOURNEY TO WELLINGTON

Classic cool reggae band Cornerstone Roots play one show only at San Francisco Bath House, Wellington on 9th December to celebrate their new single Journey. “Journey is a reflective song about how we respond to life’s ups and downs, and the conviction with which we continue on that journey” bandleader Brian Ruawai said. The singer songwriter established Cornerstone Roots in 2001 with partner and bass player, Naomi-Jean Tuaopepe. The whanau band has grown with the addition of the couple’s 12-year old son Reiki on backing vocals. On Journey his chorus vocals add a youthful optimism reminiscent of Musical Youth’s Pass The Dutchie. The Raglan based band’s Journey is mixed by DJ MU from Fat Freddy’s Drop, and holds true to their foundation of conscious reggae.

Cornerstone Roots catalogue includes three critically acclaimed albums, and the band tour extensively around the country and abroad including a 22-date European tour in 2010. The current line up is five strong and also features Andre Peri on drums and

Reti Hedley on samples and guitar. Opening their San Francisco Bath House show is rising star Ria Hall, soul funk singer and kapa haka exponent who has released a self-titled debut EP produced by Riki Gooch. Plus a freestyle mash up of dub and dubstep from Tui SoundSystem led by frontman and producer Mr Samy’samson.

Cornerstone Roots Journey available online from 14th November. Download at amplifier, digirama, iTunes, Bandit NZ, Vodafone, Telecom, Marbecks Digital and FlyBuys Music.

CORNERSTONE ROOTS SUMMER TOUR DATES

Sat 3rd Dec – The Roots Festival, Auckland

Fri 9th December – SFBH w/ Ria Hall & Tui Sound System, Wellington

Mon 2nd January – One Drop w/ Fat Freddy’s Drop & TrinityRoots, Matakana

Sat 7th January – Reggae on the Rock, Kaeo

Sat 14th January – Kaikoura Roots Festival, Kaikoura

Sat 28th January – Raggamuffin, Rotorua

Sun 29th January – Winchfest, New Plymouth

www.cornerstoneroots.net

THE DROP AND BRENT ECCLES ENTERTAINMENT PROUDLY PRESENT…

Place your order now for the not-to-be-missed ONE DROP event reuniting the original marauders of Aotearoa roots music Fat Freddy’s Drop, TrinityRoots and Cornerstone Roots.

The heavyweight line up bring ONE DROP to Matakana’s Ascension Wine Estate on Monday 2nd January 2012, almost a decade after they all stepped it up at Raglan and Kaikoura festivals in the summer of 2003.

The recently re-formed TrinityRoots will feature new drummer/vocalist Jean Pompey bringing her dexterous chops to the hypnotic roots infused reggae dub jazz waka, while Cornerstone Roots represent the classic cool wave of conscious roots reggae.

The seven-headed Freddys soul monster is flying high with fresh material, spanning soul and reggae, to house and Afro-beat, road tested over the past year across Australia and on tours to UK and Europe in July and September. From selling out O2 Brixton Academy in London, Freddys off shore highlights include playing on Europe’s second biggest PA system at Fete de L’Huma Festival, Paris, playing to 3000 fans over two sold out nights at Melkweg, Amsterdam, selling out Vega, Copenhagen a month before the show, and selling out shows in five German cities. Freddys has co-headlined festivals with Prince, Grace Jones, The Roots, Joan Baez, Eryka Badu and The Kooks, and with the band fully established internationally enjoyed the luxury of travelling across Europe in two nightliner buses.

Fat Freddy’s Drop then head to Havelock North for ONE DROP at Black Barn Vineyards on Saturday 7th January. Helping bring the ONE DROP vibe to Black Barn will be special guests The Nudge with their concoction of highenergy swampy psychedelic blues.

ONE DROP is an All Ages event, and tickets are on sale from ticketmaster.co.nz, amplifier.co.nz and venues. Ticket/Bus packages available to both ONE DROP, Matakana and ONE DROP, Havelock North.

ONE DROP, MATAKANA

ASCENSION WINE ESTATE

Monday 2ND January 2012

FAT FREDDY’S DROP

TRINITYROOTS

CORNERSTONE ROOTS

Gates Open 5.00PM, ALL AGES

Tickets Available From

www.ticketmaster.co.nz

www.amplifier.co.nz

www.ascensionwine.co.nz

Tix/Bus packages Ticketmaster

ONE DROP, HAVELOCK NORTH

BLACK BARN VINEYARDS

Saturday 7th January 2012

FAT FREDDY’S DROP

THE NUDGE

Gates Open 6.00PM, ALL AGES

Tickets Available From

www.ticketmaster.co.nz

www.amplifier.co.nz

Tix/Bus packages

www.blackbarn.com

For more information visit  www.fatfreddysdrop.com

This comprehensive, landmark book surveys products our society has made since pre European times. Begining with ingenious Maori tools, traps, lures and more, it moves to pioneer-era inventions, the industrial and agricultural inventions of early entrepreneurs such as Hayes Machinery and the products of the housewife’s friends – Shacklock and Fisher & Paykel – to our modern era, with its sophisticated products such as the Yike bike and Formway furniture, products which hold their own in international company. There’s inspiration, dedication, perspiration and not a little number eight wire and genius about the huge range of products that have been made and designed here, and enthusiastic and expert author Michael Smythe shares with the reader the ‘essence of Kiwi’ that’s in all of them.

Read More…

BUY NOW!

Laura (Project Manager FFTF), Johanna (Supreme Award Winner), Guy (Festival Director).

Johanna Hertwich, a 16 year old from rural Murchison in the South Island, has taken the Supreme Award at New Zealand’s Inspiring Stories Film Competition. The award was presented at the inaugural Festival for the Future, held in Wellington over the weekend.

First time filmmaker, Hertwich was motivated to enter the competition after taking part in a storytelling and filmmaking workshop Blenheim earlier this year. The workshop was part of nationwide series convened by the Inspiring Stories Trust in 13 regions, which aimed to support young filmmakers develop their skills and create a short film about a young person making a difference in their local community. From March–July, 150 young filmmakers and 50 creative industry mentors took part in the workshops around New Zealand.

“I’m still in shock and completely overwhelmed. I just can’t believe it”, Hertwich said after the awards ceremony on Saturday night.

Hertwich also took away prizes for Best Short Film and Most Inspiring Story, a third of the total awards. The winning film was based on a friend of Hertwich’s who had been through a rough time and followed her story of getting back on the rails.

The competition was open to all ages. There were 16 entries received from ten regions. The winning films can be viewed online at www.inspiringstories.org.nz.

Hands have always fascinated me, but most of you wouldn’t give the shape of your hands or the length of your fingers a second thought until it came to choosing your engagement and wedding rings. Fingers are tricky things to size, and it’s good to remember that our hands weren’t created to have rings on them and so there are a number of things we have to allow for.

One is temperature: your fingers will expand and contract when your hands are hot or cold. If you are buying your rings during the summer months, don’t buy them too big because by the time autumn arrives they will need sizing down. Just as if you buy your rings during the winter, as the weather warms up in the spring they’ll start to get tight and may need an extra piece of metal added to allow for this.

Guys, your hands tend to be warm most of the time, compared to women who never seem to be able to warm theirs up. But be careful when you are in the sea because your hands are going to cool down, and if you don’t have a knuckle to hold your ring on, it’s bye-bye ring!

Even if you know one fingers’ size, I’m afraid there isn’t a formula I can use to work out the size of your other fingers. Fingers tend to fall into 2 categories, those with big knuckles and those with no knuckles. Both have their advantages and disadvantages so let me explain that a little better. If you are someone who has big knuckles your ring will always spin around once you’ve managed to get it on and it can be a tight squeeze to try to relax your hand as much as you can whilst you do it.
Now those whose knuckles aren’t the widest part of your fingers, you will need to make sure that you’re rings fit really well, especially if the ring is heavy because if you flick your hand your ring could fly off!

Over the last few years I have put a lot of lugs into people’s rings… what on earth are lugs I hear you say? The simplest way of describing them would be to compare them to speed bumps. Their purpose is to break up the inside circle to help reduce any spinning. I’ve also seen a lot of different looking lugs and I have to admit that some of them don’t look very comfortable, but they do work and they sit in the soft fleshy part at the back of your finger.

There are some rings that can’t be sized due to their design or the continuous pattern which goes around the ring. This is tricky because it means that you can’t afford for your hands to change. You may be surprised at the difference a small weight loss or gain can make to the size of your fingers. The other thing that most people don’t realise is that there is a bit of an art to taking a finger size. If you are having a ring made it is ideal if the jeweller who is making your ring, measures your finger. I suggest this because they are more likely to take all these things into consideration and will take more care that the size is accurate.

Sets of ring sizers usually come in a couple of different widths, so if you are having a wide ring made and the jeweller doesn’t know this, they measure your finger size with thin ring sizer and your ring will be made too tight.

You always have to go up a couple of sizes when you are having a wide ring made because they are taking up a lot more space on your finger and once it’s on they tend to create a lot of suction and can be difficult to get off.

I know this is a lot of extra things to think about when you are buying your rings but I believe it’s always better to be well informed. If you’re one of the lucky ones whose fingers are long and slim, just appreciate how rare you are to not have these challenges!

www.jenib.com

This was the most relaxing, cathartic and re-energising but surreal holiday ever, after a devastating earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand.

We are shading ourselves from the scorching sun under the terracotta tile-roof summer house at a stunning plush luxury lodge – Hope Villa – 20 minutes south east of Christchurch international airport.

This feels like such a romantic haven and the name of the place is so apt after a terrible earthquake on February 22 killed 182 people and caused widespread damage, destroying a third of the inner city. But Christchurch has had its share of tragedy; the earth will settle down and once more millions will stay and pass through this lovely city.

So this is dream-like at Hope Villa. We are in the sanctity of the quiet countryside. Birds are chirping, bees busy among an avenue of lavender in a gorgeous manicured garden. Hope Villa lodge is so beautiful – a neutral pastel palette in a warm and inviting lounge; fluffy pillows piled up in the cosiest big bed ever. We loved that villa bed so much. This place is a Mecca for honeymooners and Aussies skiers. It is heaven on earth – but 20 minutes away in the city we see so much devastation and ruin as the February earthquake left its mark brutally shaking buildings to the ground. The rebuild is expected to cost $30billion.

So many grand older heritage-listed buildings have collapsed leaving streets in rubble destroying the heart and soul of the city and the people who live here. But out of the silt, cracks, mortar, broken bricks and shattered wood, a new Christchurch will rise again.

For 150 years this has been the most English and most peaceful of cities. It is one of the safest and best places to visit and rest in majestic New Zealand. Christchurch has had its share of earthquakes and will soon – in a month or two – be safe and ready to attract millions of visitors once more.

This is the first tourist story out of Christchurch since last month.  Christchurch city’s tourism industry has taken its first steps towards recovery with the removal of non-essential travel restrictions and reopening of some core services.

Christchurch is still under a state of emergency and many businesses remain closed, key local tourism attractions are re-opening. The airport is busy as ever again as thousands of people flock to help in the recovery.

Our hosts Terry and Maurice tell us about the earthquake; and their own experiences but they say they are lucky they had no structural at the Villa. They slip away and we sip on chilled champagne they gifted to us; we listen to dulcet sounds of Norah Jones floating across the room. Our shoes fly off; feet up; and cuddle in on the couch…this is magic.

In the morning Terry brings over a breakfast of fresh fruit and yoghurt, salmon, spinach and egg, a fruit smoothie and cup of tea. She is a great cook. We savour the yummy tastes and now raring to seize the day.

First they produce bikes and we peddle down a country bike trail to the Little River village for a coffee. The untouched countryside is so quiet and picturesque. We visit a Maori marae (community meeting place) known as Wairewa. It is tidy and a great place for gatherings.

In the afternoon, we stroll nine holes of golf at tranquil Tai Tapu without threatening the course record. We sip a chardonnay in the sunshine and chat to locals how they survived the earthquake. They are stoic; they are the lucky ones. Others didn’t make it. People here adapt to a new and eerie reality. Life will slowly return to normal. People are resilient in the rebuild and recovery. They say at least 10,000 homes need to be demolished. Each day the impact sheets home – but it pails is nothing like the horror of events in Japan. A national memorial service on March 18 was held to commemorate the victims of the February 22 earthquake. Prince William from the UK Royal Family and other international leaders attended.

The name Hope Villa was so appropriate as Christchurch rebuilds for a new tomorrow. Terry and Maurice were great hosts. Their chocolate labrador Berlin was snoozing under a fruit tree as we drove quietly away to the airport, fully recharged and so happy after the best ever short luxury holiday.

Hikoikoi are pleased to announce that they will be performing at One Love in London (UK) on Sat 20 August 2011.

Famed as the Uk ’s Number One Reggae and Dub festival, One Love is a 3 day festival at Hainault Forest on the outskirts of east London . The festival was established in 2008 to commemorate Bob Marley’s 1978 legendary concert of the same name. Running for  four years One Love is a festival with artists from all over the work performing including The Mad Professor and Daddy Freddy, and Hikoikoi is thrilled to be joining them.

Hikoikoi’s slot at One Love is part of an intense month long European Tour which will see them perform at a number of festivals and clubs throughout Europe.

They are also booked to share their music and conscious messages at Xnoizz Flevo Festival in Bussloo, near Apeldoorn , in The Netherlands.  Running since 1991 Flevo is considered one of Europe biggest youth festivals. This year the theme is “Are You in Tune?” with the vision and mission of the festival being to help young people form, develop and strengthen their character and become relevant for their society… so Hikoikoi is stoked to be involved.

The European tour also sees the introduction of Mike Duffy as bass player in Hikoikoi. Mike Duffy; a recent graduate from Wellington’s Prestigious Jazz School is a seasoned musician with a well respected full and funky bass sound, evident in his performances with Newtown Rock Steady and Zirigidum.

Lead Singer Paul Wickham is excited about the fresh new line up and the European Tour saying: “This is an exciting time for Hikoikoi, with a new team member and a new European Tour. We are so thrilled to welcome Mike to Hikoikoi and are busy working on the new album, as well as getting ready to make our mark in Europe . The time is right for us to share the Hikoikoi music and positive messages with other cultures around the world…bring it on!”

www.myspace.com/hikokoi
www.facebook.com/pages/Hikoikoi

A completely unique marketplace for artists and art lovers is coming to Auckland – Art + Soul will be the hub of young, fresh talent. The boutique art agency will remove all the stuffiness out of buying art. With a collection of beautiful and affordable original pieces, displayed on the website, Art + Soul will also work personally with clients to tailor custom commissions that perfectly suit their tastes and needs.

When trying to find art by up-and-coming artists that suited the scheme of her own home, company director Katie Endicott-Davies could not find what she was looking for. There was no agency that nurtured emerging and developing artists – until Art + Soul. With a diverse portfolio of award-winning painters, photographers, screen-printers, sculptors and digital artists, the agency has pieces for all tastes. Clients can buy
directly from the website, or can see the work displayed in the company’s studio space in Ponsonby. Connecting the client to the art they’ll love is what Art + Soul is all about.

The custom commission service is available for those who know their needs exactly, as well as for clients who’d prefer a more collaborative process. The agency will expertly match the client with an artist who suits their tastes, and at-home consultations are available if desired. Art + Soul caters to all – whether they’re decorating their home, an
office, restaurant or café, or are interior designers, home stagers or set dressers.

Everyone will leave with the art they want and need – without having to pay excessive prices and endure pretentiousness. For the agency with style and heart – for Art with Soul.

For more information visit www.artandsoul.co.nz