‘Hand’ Heads to China | Janet Lilo

(The article was originally published on photographyfestival.org.nz)

Auckland Festival of Photography is pleased to announce their Annual Commission 2017 exhibition by Janet Lilo is being presented at the Pingyao International Photo Festival, China, 19 – 25 Sept 2017.

An Auckland Festival of Photography exhibition of work by Janet Lilo is on show at next month’s Pingyao International Photography Festival in China.  Her new work Hand, will feature at Pingyao between 19 and 25 September, following it’s showing as a core element of this year’s Auckland Festival of Photography 2017.

Artist Statement by Janet Lilo:

My dad’s hands were big and strong. Often covered in grease from a day’s work polishing metal.  If I ever saw him, he’d try and flick me twenty dollar bills – leaving bits of black on the notes where his fingers touched.  To be honest, I never cared about money – and I still don’t. All I ever wanted was a bit of his time growing up. This time last year, when cancer took the life from him I observed how much his hands had changed.  They were small. Pale. Clean. Unfamiliar. And I stared at them for a long time before saying goodbye.

Annual Commission by Baker + Douglas this year was supported by a grant from Creative New Zealand.

“One of AFP’s key objectives is to support emerging, mid-career and major New Zealand photographers,” The Auckland Festival of Photography Trust says.
“AFP is a founding member of the Asia Pacific Photoforum since 2010 and this exhibition was conceived and specifically curated for our official partners, the Pingyao International Photography Festival to provide strategic international exposure for the artists in our Annual Commission programme.

Janet Lilo will join James K Lowe, Tanu Gago, PJ Paterson and Russ Flatt as artists commissioned to be shown in Auckland with a major international Festival outcome.”

Pingyao is the world’s largest photography Festival and this is the 6th year the Auckland Festival of Photography has been engaged with their annual programme.  AFP has worked on an international programme featuring emerging, mid-career New Zealand photographers in China since 2012.