Louie Bretaña

Louie Bretaña
Born
Louis Joseph Rivera Bretaña

1967 (age 56–57)
Philippines
NationalityPhilippines, New Zealand
Alma materUniversity of Auckland and University of Philippines
Known forpainting, sculpture, performance
Notable workEat My Rice
Stylepainting with glitter and glass crystals, figurative sculptures, and performance art

Louis Joseph Rivera Bretaña (born 1967) is a Filipino-born New Zealand painter and sculptor with roots in Manila and the Visayan province of Iloilo.[1][2]

Bretaña graduated with Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts, and moved to New Zealand in 2011.[2][3] He subsequently earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts with first-class honours (2018) and a Master of Fine Arts degree (2019) from the Elam School of Fine Arts at the University of Auckland.[3][4]

Bretaña's work actively challenges Euro-western colonial histories and encouraging a respectful engagement with culture via conversation and interaction.[5]

Bretaña's notable performance piece Eat My Rice was held in multiple locations throughout New Zealand, such as New Lynn Community Centre,[6] Projectspace Gallery,[7] RM Gallery,[1] and Play_Station.[8] Eat My Rice is a reimagining of the Filipino pre-colonial feast, where participants eat the rice with bare hands, food served on banana leaves, and letting go of standards and expectations of Euro-western society.[6]

Pre-Christianity Filipino deities play a major role in Bretaña's paintings and sculptures; they act as a platform for pre-colonial Filipino narratives and mythologies,[9] using glitter and glass crystals,[10] but are merged with the local New Zealand context.[11] In a Radio New Zealand interview, he stated "My works look into stories, myths and legends that I heard in my youth and I then translate them into paintings."[12]

In 2024, Bretaña was awarded Artist of the Year, Filipino-Kiwi Hero Awards 2024 for his contribution to the New Zealand's visual arts.[13]

Selected solo exhibitions

[edit]
  • 2023: Eat My Rice, part of World of Cultures, New Lynn Community Centre, Auckland New Zealand[6]
  • 2021: Tumingala sa tinitingala na mga tala, Te Uru Waitākere Contemporary Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand[3]
  • 2021: Dito sa Lupa Para nang sa Langit- On Earth as it is in the Heavens, Franklin Arts Centre, Auckland, New Zealand[14]
  • 2020: Blessed Art Thou, Studio One Toi Tū, Auckland, New Zealand[15]
  • 2017: Eat My Rice, Projectspace Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand[7]
  • 2017: Eat My Rice, part of Performance Art Week Aotearoa, Play_Station, Auckland, New Zealand [8]

Selected group exhibitions

[edit]
  • 2024: Belonging: Stories of Contemporary New Zealand Asian Artists, Bergman Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand[16]
  • 2024: Aotearoa Art Fair 2024, Bergman Gallery, Viaduct Events Centre, Auckland, New Zealand[17]
  • 2023: Five Painters, Bergman Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand[12]
  • 2023: A Place to Call Home - Contemporary New Zealand Asian Art, Bergman Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand[18][19]
  • 2023: Oasis/Respite 2.0, part of Auckland Pride Festival, Corbins Estate Art Centre & Studio One Toi Tū, Auckland, New Zealand[20]
  • 2023: Pride and Prejudice... Part 1, Bergman Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand[21]
  • 2021: Syokes: Marc Conaco and Louie Bretaña, Objectspace, Auckland, New Zealand[5]
  • 2021: Vaka to A Billion Stars, Matariki Festival 2021, Silo 6, Silo Park, Auckland, New Zealand[22]
  • 2019: Showcase, Fresh Gallery Ōtara, Auckland, New Zealand[23]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Weng, Amy (27 March 2018). "In Conversation with Louie Bretaña". Hainamana. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  2. ^ a b Hoyle, Craig (17 September 2017). "Awakening the sleeping dragon could determine the next Government". Stuff. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  3. ^ a b c "Te Uru Waitakere Contemporary Gallery | Louie Bretana: Tumingala sa tinitingala na mga tala". Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  4. ^ "Graduation search results". University of Auckland. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
  5. ^ a b "Syokes — Objectspace". www.objectspace.org.nz. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  6. ^ a b c "World of Cultures 2023". worldofcultures.co.nz. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  7. ^ a b "Eat My Rice". elamartists.ac.nz. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  8. ^ a b "Eat My Rice - Performance Art Week Aotearoa". Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  9. ^ Matthew, Ricky. "Showcasing Artists' Perspectives on Belonging and Cultural Evolution". Filipino News. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
  10. ^ Paris, Blanchard (18 July 2023). "Finding Home". Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  11. ^ Matthew, Ricky. "Showcasing artists' perspectives on belonging and cultural evolution". Migrant News. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
  12. ^ a b Tom, Blessen (12 December 2023). "Auckland gallery spotlights Asian artists". RNZ. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
  13. ^ "Louie Bretaña awarded Artist of the Year". Artnow. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
  14. ^ "Louie Bretaña, Franklin Arts Centre | Artsdiary 3503". www.artsdiary.co.nz. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  15. ^ halonz (14 January 2020). "'Blessed Art Thou' Exhibition | Halo Halo NZ". Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  16. ^ "Belonging: Stories of Contemporary New Zealand Asian Artists". artguide.artforum.com. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
  17. ^ "Bergman Gallery | Aotearoa Art Fair 2024". Artnow. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
  18. ^ "A Place To Call Home - Contemporary New Zealand Asian Art". artguide.artforum.com. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  19. ^ "Ponsonby News - New Zealand". ponsonbynews.co.nz. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  20. ^ "Oasis/Respite 2.0 | Corban Estate Arts Centre". ceac.org.nz. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  21. ^ ""Pride & Prejudice Part 1" at Bergman Gallery | Artsdiary 3872". artsdiary.co.nz. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  22. ^ "We Can Do Something Monumental': How to be One in a Billion". The Big Idea. 7 May 2021. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
  23. ^ ""Showcase" Fresh Gallery Ōtara | Artsdiary 3257". artsdiary.co.nz. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
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