Leanne Morrison

Hi there, I am currently studying for a degree in Visual Art and Design at Ideas School, EIT, Hawkes Bay. Originally from Wellington and coming from a multicultural background I balance my father’s colorful and passionate Samoan heritage with my Mothers more practical and fiery Scottish heritage.

Having travelled and lived a whole other life I’m returning to school as a mature student to satisfy my passion for all things creative and to further my love of all things painterly. As a painter of abstract forms, lines and stripes I am inspired by the notion of space, that area between that is unseen (sometimes), but where things happen. In Samoan culture there is a word that describes this notion perfectly, Albert Wendt defines it as;“Va is the space between, the betweenness, not empty space, not space that separates, but space that relates, that holds separate entities and things together in the Unity-that-is-All, the space that is context, giving meaning to things.”

Currently I am inspired by the energy generated by the diversity of people I encounter everyday at school. The many different personalities of all gender, ages and cultural traditions, all coming together in one creative space, and where things happen. This space is ever changing and supplies endless inspiration for my paintings and drawings.