I WISH... ROSANNA RAYMOND
Rosanna Raymond, AKA Sistar S’pacific, is a notable producer of, and commentator on, contemporary Pacific culture in Aotearoa and internationally. A long-standing member of the innovating art and fashion collective the Pacific Sisters, she is also the founding member of the SaVAge K’lub, a multidisciplinary vehicle built to explore ideas of hospitality and sovereignty through an open group of artists who come together to activate installation spaces and objects. Specialising in working within museums and tertiary institutions, Raymond has achieved international renown for her writing, poetry, performances, installations, body adornment and spoken word. Earlier this year she was appointed as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in recognition of her ongoing services to Pacific Arts.
I WISH, 10 YEARS AGO, I’D KNOWN...
That everything was going to be OK. Ten years ago, my 25-year marriage ended and I was deeply heartbroken. I really thought I was too old to get back to any sort of relationship, job, a new life seemed so exhausting. So, how fantastic to find out my aunty was right, you can start living your best life in your 50s (actually she said, the best sex ever). I rolled up my sleeves, opened up to change, my art took me around the world, I moved back home to Aotearoa and haven’t looked back ever since.
I WISH I COULD LIVE IN... A BUBBLE IN A CORAL REEF… A SOMEWHAT ROMANTIC SOLUTION TO THE RISING SEAS. OR MAYBE IT’S BECAUSE AQUAMAN WOULD BE ONE OF MY NEIGHBOURS AND I COULD HAVE A SHARK AS A FRIEND.
I WISH I COULD SWAP LIVES WITH…
My next door neighbour’s cat Wā, she is well loved, gets scratched in all the right places, doesn’t have to cook and has two homes. She cruises between her official home and saunters over to mine when her mum goes off to work. Goodness knows what she gets up to when we are both gone… love a bit of mystery. Wā has magic eyes and I’ve always wanted stripes, so furry ones would suit me to a tee.
I WISH EVERY DAY I COULD E AT. . .
Nicenice, a term my late aunty Irene came up with when we were kids. We all still use it and have passed it onto the next generation. It’s basically an all-inclusive term for anything you think is yummy, usually sweet but can be savoury. Good to use when someone asks you if you want anything from the dairy, and has an element of surprise.
THE PERSON I WISH WAS ON A BANKNOTE IS…
My first thought was Bob Marley. His music moves me and his words and wisdom are still relevant. He has had such an impact on the struggles of indigenous rights and culture, especially in Aotearoa. But then I got thinking, why isn’t Dame Whina Cooper or Eva Rickard on a banknote? Two extraordinary wāhine toa who fought on the front lines for Māori Land rights and Māori Women’s rights. Inspirational to generations.
THE SOUND I NEVER WANT TO HEAR AGAIN…
Dry retching. There is a certain sound my body makes when I am about to pass kidney stones… seems it is one of my talents despite drinking gallons of water every day. I can’t describe it but it isn’t the usual sound of fluid and food exiting one’s oesophagus, it’s a deep guttural sound, dry and ominous and I know it’s time to go to the hospital…again.
I WISH NZ WAS MORE…
Open about the institutionalised racism that exists here. We seem to think New Zealand is still clean and green and we are an egalitarian country with admirable race relations when compared to other nations of the world.
We have a lot of work to do as we move deeper into the 21st century to ensure our forests, waterways, native species and human rights can continue to thrive and flourish. I didn’t mean to end on such a downer, but this keeps me up at night. My art practice helps me unpack these huge issues, helps me to embrace a new day.