Maman Artist In Residence:
Get To Know Ginny Fisher
Art, stories and an evening together at Maman.
This Wednesday night, we’re welcoming our artist in residence, Ginny Fisher, in store for her exhibition, Les Oeufs Pour La Maman. Inspired by nature and her own family history, Ginny’s work explores the beauty and symbolism of eggs — motherhood, strength, fragility and the stories that connect generations. Ahead of the evening, we caught up with Ginny to talk about the women who shaped her, her most treasured pieces and the inspiration behind the exhibition. Get to know the artist below, then join us on Wednesday to discover her world.
Q. The word “Maman” speaks to the women who shape us. Who were the women who most influenced your eye, your creativity and your sense of style growing up?
A. My mother was a sucker for a great jumpsuit - and she wore it well. She had a bit of a military vibe going on too, a lot of olive green, boots and pants. I was brought up on a farm so practicality ruled. My mother couldn’t get me into a dress until I was 15. As the youngest child with three older brothers, I favoured riding boots and jodhpurs, I suppose I wanted to be one of the boys. A classic line from when I was a kid, when presented with a gift of frilly underpants from my grandmother, I said mortified; “I don’t want these, I want under dungs.” I guess I was trying to say undies! Granted I was only 5, but you get the idea.
My mother was also a brilliant painter and she informed me as an artist from a young age, I would spend hours in her studio drawing and painting. We would go looking for birds eggs together on the farm - it’s illegal now - and often I’d head out to the hills of our farm on one of our crazy farm hack horses for a ride in nature, all thee experiences have fed into my aesthetic, I guess I am a country kid at heart. As I matured, I tended to gravitate towards a boho, arty vibe alongside a classic military vibe and I think thats what I am still attracted to today. I am a sucker for a good print, but also love something classic and timeless.
Q. Do you think great style is something we learn perhaps from our mothers, grandmothers or the homes we grew up in or something we instinctively discover for ourselves?
A. Probably a bit of both. I think as we mature, we try on different hats so to speak, but eventually you learn what suits you. I am drawn to lower neck lines to flatter my broader shoulders and although I love the super baggy jeans that are in vogue at the moment, honestly I look better in a tighter, dare I say it (my daughter will hate this) a skinner jean as I am quite short and find bigger styles overwhelm me. Although a modest barrel is pretty cool! My mother always loved fashion - she really paid attention to putting an outfit together and still does, I think I have inherited her love of style and knack for colour- I think it’s part of my creative DNA.
Q. Your work has such a strong sense of personality and story. What are you drawn to when you begin a piece, and where do those ideas usually come from?
A. Weirdly I often have great ideas in the shower or when I am driving, generally when I am not trying to force something. Many of my thematics come from my own experiences in nature - I am surrounded by farmland, animals and a sprawling garden, and I am constantly examining the landscape and my place in it. I often think of animals living in a spiritual realm we can’t fully understand, which is why I love the eggs so much. They have this mystery to them - their patterns don’t necessarily reflect the bird that birthed them in an aesthetic way, and like all species, no two eggs are the same. This randomness really appeals to me.
Once I have thought about a concept for a while and done a bit of research, I will try something - a photo or a drawing or a painting and if I like the look of it, I will explore it in more detail. Some projects are quite spontaneous, like a recent sketch for my aunt about her childhood pony bolting on her, but many progress over the years like the eggs. Every time I pick up an egg, I want to try something different - whether that be new lighting conditions or shadows or backgrounds, they all have an impact on the feeling of the final image.
Q. There is something very special about living with art much like fashion, it becomes part of how we express ourselves. What do you hope someone feels when they bring one of your pieces into their home?
A. Firstly I hope they love living with it. Whether that be from a colour point of view, or whether they see something symbolic in it they can relate to. The eggs are such powerful metaphors for women - the egg is symbolic of motherhood, strength and fragility, of hope and endings, rest and industry.
Q. At Maman, we love the idea of collecting pieces over time rather than simply following trends. Are there objects, artworks, clothes or treasures in your own life that you will never part with — and what makes them meaningful to you?
A. Gosh, where to start. I am an obsessive collector. I collect feathers, shells, old objects at estate auctions and when I can afford it art. On the object front I found this gorgeous soap stone owl sculpture from a flea market in Chelsea when we were living in New York, it has a real Picasso feel about it. I love touching his head, it’s so soft - that’s the mark of a great object - wanting to interact with it.
On the art front, I purchased a large work by Cora-Allan Lafaiki Twiss, a multidisciplinary Aotearoa-based artist and hiapo practitioner - I interviewed her a few years back and it’s a stunner - the paper is made from Ata bark and she made her own inks from seed pods. Cora-Allan has revived the art of Niuean hiapo (similar to Fijian tapa but more monochromatic) and the work celebrates the last supper she had with her grandfather - it’s a poignant piece on many levels and it hangs in my kitchen. Clothing wise, anything cashmere is special. I love a good Zadig and Voltaire piece, they last forever. I like the playfulness of Farm Rio too. My egg collection is pretty special and I also collect ceramics, I inherited some stunning pieces from my grandmother and I adore the work by the ceramic artist Jamie Jenkins, who I interviewed for a story a few years back in Tauranga - she’s exceptionally clever. Her little plinth can hang on a wall or sit on a table, it’s in the most surreal yellow/green tint - I’m obsessed.
Q. For Les Oeufs Pour La Maman, what can guests expect to discover on the night — and what would you love them to take away from the exhibition?
A. Well I hope people have a bit of fun and can appreciate this collection I have the privilege of being guardian of. I’d like viewers to think about their own ancestry and ask their parents and grandparents questions about the past before they are gone. This project has made me question many facets of my family history, which has given me a better sense of who I am, and where I have come from. I hope viewers will also find pleasure in light and colour and of course the delicate markings of the eggs.
The work list shows viewers the bird associated with each egg which should be interesting. Look out for the Peregrine Falcon, it's one of the fastest prey birds on earth and their eggs are very valuable apparently. I also hope people will enjoy a good catch up and have a laugh, we all have such busy lives, I often think we don’t make enough time to catch up with people we normally wouldn’t see.
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