Join contemporary artist Jen Bowmast as she presents about her art practice and her current exhibition at Ramp Gallery, Sacred Sites. During this session, Jen will be in conversation with Leafa Wilson (performance artist, writer and Curator Art: Waikato Museum) and Dr Natasha Tassell-Matamua (Senior Lecturer/Deputy Head of the School of Psychology, Massey University). The group will discuss ideas around spirituality in contemporary art and culture.

Jen’s work, spanning installation, performance, photography and object making, explores themes around spirituality and the human impulse to connect to something larger than ‘the self’. She also questions the status quo by exploring new “ways of knowing”, which has led Jen to an interesting practice of engaging psychic mediums in her research and making processes. Turning away from the rational and the known, to the unknown and the intuitive, brings an exciting and creative rebelliousness to Jen’s work.

During Ramp Festival week, you can view Jen’s exhibition Sacred Sites at Ramp Gallery each afternoon, visitors can also experience Jen receiving live psychic readings in the gallery (*see schedule for times).  Jen will also be offering a practical workshop on Friday 26 July where you can join her in making a collaborative art work together (9.30 to 12.30 in RG.05)

This talk is generously supported by the Nancy Caiger Charitable Trust. Jen Bowmast’s involvement in Ramp Festival and Ramp Gallery is aligned to the Waikato Women’s Fund. Find out more about this fund here .