Andy Leleisi'uao - The Checkmate of Wild Rainbows

ANDY LELEISI’UAO

THE CHECKMATE OF WILD RAINBOWS 20 April - 22 May 2015 pierre peeters galleries 45 SHORTLAND ST, VERO CENTRE, AUCKLAND CBD +64 9 3774832 WWW.PIERREPEETERSGALLERY.COM

ANDY LELEISI’UAO

THE CHECKMATE OF WILD RAINBOWS 20 April - 22 May 2015

Andy Leleisi’uao’s paintings offer us a perspective of the world that is unique, dynamic, passionate and sometimes painful and sad too.

He sees what some others miss and incorporates this into his paintings. He sees what is beyond the end of most peoples’ peripheral vision. He is a sorcerer, painter and capturer of our dreams, nightmares, visions, imagination and memories. Leleisi’uao’s current series titled The Checkmate of Wild Rainbows is in homage to all those great men and women who are quoted on the Wall of Words (by Story Inc.) at the Vero Centre on Shortland Street, Auckland. This 9m x 15m installation in the lobby of our countries tallest office building features over 70 literary and other quotations that ‘capture the spirit of New Zealand’. Leleisi’uao could not merely paint ‘famous’ or celebrity faces, so he chose to paint portraits of these beautiful strong animals, ancient and that are now either heavily endangered or on the brink of extinction. The spirit or mana that is carried through the messages from the great people who contributed to New Zealand and further is symbolised through each of these majestic animals with their old souls. They are bigger than themselves. Like the trophy heads that hang throughout the world reminding us of a hunting era that was once one of the most popular sports and exports of third world countries such as Africa and India and Asia and the dark world of poaching. David Smith reports in his New Zealand Herald article from last month, ‘World Losing Wildlife Poaching War’,

“The northern white rhino is heading the way of the dinosaurs. With only five left on Earth - three in Kenya, one in America and one in the Czech Republic - extinction is now inevitable. It survived for millions of years, but could not survive mankind.”

“This is just one subspecies, but soon the planet’s remaining 28,500 rhinos could be under threat from the illegal wildlife trade. Worth up to $24 billion a year, it has joined drugs, arms and human trafficking as one of the world’s biggest crime rackets.”

The Checkmate of Wild Rainbows is also about the way that we are treating, or more accurately, mistreating these animals, much in the same manner as colonial powers rape and pillage of the land, the people and the natural environment of indigenous peoples. The first player in the Game, or the game itself is the The In†repid King. With his dark eyes and proud jaw the Lion is the leader, and as with the leader of a marathon race, who leads by positive example and is a peacemaker as opposed to a puglist, a boxer who fights with aggression and that is a solo fighter.

Next we have The Enligh†ened Rook,

the ancient eyes of the elephant say it all. Then the The Grounded Knigh† it is heart breaking to hear that there are so few Northern White Rhino in existence in the world today, and that they are unable to breed. The last in the series depicts the The Quixo†ic Bishop, the Giraffe.

Claire Ulenberg

On an epic scale, with large canvases, these works take us on a journey, filled with confrontation, rich colors and uncomfortable truths. The emblematic Technicolor background instantly attracts us, reminiscent of pixels – it represents mankind. On first glace the images are fun, colorful and jovial with the inclusion of Safari animals – but on second glace these images are troublesome. The eyes of the animals are empty; their mass is devoid of color. The vigor and prestige excepted of these rulers of the savannah are faded, their livelihood going, going, gone.

Jodie Botica

1. The In†repid King (Lion) acrylic on canvas 1520 x 1520 mm

2. The Enligh†ened Rook (Elephant) acrylic on canvas 1520 x 1520 mm

3. The Grounded Knigh†(Northern White Rhino) acrylic on canvas 1520 x 1520 mm

4. The Quixo†ic Bishop (Giraffe) acrylic on canvas 1520 x 1520 mm

5. Temarius Par†II acrylic on canvas 505 x 405 mm

6. Temarius Par†I acrylic on canvas 505 x 405 mm

7. The Ex†inc†ion of the Porcelain Aquatures Part I acrylic on canvas 1115 x 760 mm

8. The Extinction of the Porcelain Aquatures Part II acrylic on canvas 1115 x 760 mm

ANDY LELEISI’UAO

THE CHECKMATE OF WILD RAINBOWS 20 April - 22 May 2015

1. The In†repid King (Lion) acrylic on canvas 1520 x 1520 mm

$15,000

2. The Enligh†ened Rook (Elephant) acrylic on canvas 1520 x 1520 mm

$15,000

3. The Grounded Knigh† (Northern White Rhino) acrylic on canvas 1520 x 1520 mm

$15,000

4. The Quixo†ic Bishop (Giraffe) acrylic on canvas 1520 x 1520 mm

$15,000

5. Temarius Par† II acrylic on canvas 505 x 405 mm

$3,750

6. Temarius Par† I acrylic on canvas 505 x 405 mm

$3,750

7. The Ex†inc†ion of the Porcelain Aquatures Part I acrylic on canvas 1115 x 760 mm

$6,750

8. The Extinction of the Porcelain Aquatures Part II acrylic on canvas 1115 x 760 mm

$6,750

pierre peeters galleries 45 SHORTLAND ST, VERO CENTRE, AUCKLAND CBD +64 9 3774832 WWW.PIERREPEETERSGALLERY.COM