Time Capsule: Ans Westra in the Hutt
Ans Westra, Pathway to Naenae Primary School, Naeane, from the series Portrait of the Hutt 1988-89. Courtesy of Suite Tirohanga and The Dowse Art Museum. Mark Tantrum Photography.
As time goes by, how do we remember ourselves and the places we’ve called home?
Through her photographs, Ans Westra (1936—2023) captured the fleeting moments of our lives that contribute to who we are and who we might yet become. Between 1988 and 1989, she embarked on a project for The Dowse Art Museum to find the essence of the communities in Te Awakairangi, Lower Hutt. Reflecting on this period, she wrote:
I always search for an essential character. In my photographs I have tried to convey the feeling of living in the Hutt Valley…I try to be gentle in my approach and let my subjects guide me into an understanding.
Over thirty years later Westra’s photographs are like a time capsule and a beautiful record of local people and places. Even though these suburbs are young, her images show us how locals already have a history here that reflects who they are.
In 1991, some photographs from the original project were exhibited at The Dowse and became a part of their collection. In 2022, this story was broadened with newly uncovered images of Naenae, a selection of which were also added to the collection; folding this suburb back into the original series to ensure The Dowse would have a wider representation of the people of Te Awakairangi for future generations to experience.
Time Capsule: Ans Westra in the Hutt was divided into three parts—some of the original photographs were shown at The Dowse, while a new selection focussing on Naenae were shown at Coco Pop Up Community Space in Hillary Court, Naenae, along with 9 billboards, which were scattered around Naenae in the spots they were originally taken.
The Dowse Art Museum: 29 Jan – 15 May 2022