Art - More than just a canvas on the wall

He once organised a flash mob fashion show on an Auckland train and called it art. That was one of many unusual creations for James whose parents would have been surprised to know he pursued a career in the world of art. He now directs The Physics Room in Ōtautahi, a contemporary gallery located in the Arts Centre Te Matatiki Toi Ora.

He spent his childhood in Rotorua, often making the trip up to Maketu where his father was from. With summers filled with swimming, he spent his winters on the slopes - partaking in his school's ski team where he was fortunate enough to gain a qualification in ski instruction. Following high school, he ended up in Nagano Japan, using his qualification to teach kids how to ski.

“I had been going to the art galleries and taking photos whilst I was in Japan, I then decided I wanted to pursue my passion (photography at the time), so I went home for a year and worked at Z Energy pumping gas, asking if anyone wanted 91 or Diesel”

Jono Rotman, a renowned photographer and artist from Wellington influenced Tapsell-Kururangi to attend Massey following an email enquiry as to where he studied.

“That was the third time I tried going to uni but that time really worked for me”

Previously, two university attempts did not work out. But eventually Tapsell-Kururangi worked hard at Massey University in Wellington, and gained a Bachelor of Design specialising in photography. He then went on to pursue a Master of Fine Arts.

This opportunity allowed him to volunteer in a gallery and meet his future mentor, Shannon Te Ao. In 2016, Te Ao won the Walters Prize - New Zealand’s most prestigious art award and since then, he has completed a master of fine arts and continues to showcase his work both internationally and nationally.

The relationship Tapsell-Kururangi and Te Ao shared created opportunities for Tapsell-Kuruangi to gain invaluable experience. 

“Shannon was one of the main people who showed me what art was and could be as a career”

From researching for Te Ao, to cooking for actors of his films, Tapsell-Kururangi embraced and appreciated each opportunity. In his last year of masters his kuia passed. He went home and thought he wanted to stay in her whare for a year. This is where he realised that his experiences could be translated into art.

“This moment is when I saw the potential of art. I realised that art could be anything and be something powerful for myself, helping me deal with the grief of my nan passing whilst also being made in my whare”

This concept was later shown in St Paul Street Gallery in Auckland.

At the end of his last year of master's, Tapsell-Kururangi applied to be the curatorial intern at Te Tuhi Art Gallery. In this role, he emphasised the values of whakawhanaungatanga and whakapapa as “Knowing the whakapapa behind where we are working has and still is important to me”

“Within those 18 months, I walked into the gallery having no experience and by the end of it, I applied to be the director of the Physics Room”

In this role, he explained he is still learning amongst his team, currently focusing on a fundraiser for The Physics Room which will begin on December 7th.