Artists: Anna Hicks, Anna Prussing, Catherine Croucher, Gael O‘Donnell, Jill Bowman, Katherine Morrison, Marilyn Daly and Philippa Doyle

When we work together, we call ourselves Les Grandes Dames – a whimsical expression of the many years of art practice we collectively share.

We are eight artists with varied creative practices who came together because of our shared interest in textiles. We all wanted to develop as artists, and honest but encouraging critique from other group members has allowed us all to progress our work in varied ways.

Creating Connections is at the heart of our art practice: connection with our whanau and community; connection with our homeland and the world around us; connection with our past and future; connection with our art and, through that, connection with our audience. Connecting can be painful but being disconnected is equally painful and challenging. The need to connect is fundamentally human.