18 Kiwi-Asian Artists Profile in New Documentary Series

From interdisciplinary artist Yuki Kihara (Venice Biennale 2022) to Graffiti Artist BERST (aka Dr Bobby Hung), K-Pop Choreographer Rina Chae to Silo Theatre's newly appointed Programme Manager Ahi Karunaharan, Aotearoa is bursting with stories of pan-Asian artists at the top of their game.
 
Presented by Kadambari Raghukumar (RNZ's Voices podcast), ASIA: Art Stories in Aotearoa profiles 18 diverse Asian-origin NZ artists across Fine Arts, Music, Dance, Theatre, Multimedia and Design and explores how life in Aotearoa New Zealand informs their work and sense of cultural identity.
 
By weaving together personal stories and artistic practices with different pan-Asian cultural views, the series showcases how our nation’s cultural landscape is shifting and how the arts can help us have broader, more inclusive conversations that builds bridges of understanding instead of walls of (in)difference.
 
Producer Arani Cuthbert says Aotearoa's creative sector is so much more diverse than people realise.
 
“It is a privilege to help share the stories of these brilliant artists and spotlight their achievements. In these challenging times the arts are more important than ever and as New Zealand opens up to the world again, let’s celebrate our evolving cultural identity.” 
 
Presenter Kadambari Raghukumar says that Asian artists contribute a huge amount to New Zealand's creative industry.
 
“I'm such a big fan of these artists and what they have to say through their art - they're all standouts in their areas. As an Asian woman myself, I love that this series is an important window into discovering more of these artists' work.” 
 
Produced by Diva Productions for RNZ, all six episodes of ASIA: Art Stories in Aotearoa will be released on Tuesday 26 April at rnz.co.nz/asia, with all 18 profiles made available to watch as stand-alone stories. Made with the support of NZ On Air.