Keelin Bell

Ko wai koe?
Ko Ngāti Maniapoto me Ngāti Porou tо̄ku iwi
Ko Ngāti Rora me Te Whānau ā Rerewa tо̄ku hapu
Ko Mangokewa me Waiapu tо̄ku awa
Ko Rangitoto me Hikurangi tо̄ku maunga
Ko Te Tokanganui-A-Noho me Hinepare tо̄ku marae
I whānau mai au i Waiharakeke.
Ko Keelin Bell tо̄ku ingoā.

What are your pronouns?
He/him.

Where are you living/working right now?
Te Whanganui Ā Tara.

What do you do and why do you do it?
He ringa toi. I can't confine myself to one specific practice however I love illustration. It's something that you can do around people in real time and gauge people's interest. However, one thing that has driven me are reactions of my mahi that people dislike or feel don't work. That then becomes a mission to sway or change those opinions. Sometimes that will take years and at that point I’ll probably have a completely different audience, hahah.

What are you working on at the moment?
Besides this mural, I'm working on an animation project with some friends! It's a Māori Western called Kai Noon so keep an eye out for that. I'm also developing some prints as well.

What do you love about art?
I love the whakapapa of art. In every culture there's a distinct style and wairua. For Māori we have practices such as waiata, haka, whakairo, kowhaiwhai, and raranga. Over the last century these practices still run strong in new ways through digital art, photography, and film. There's so much room for exploration still and I'm curious about what people create!

What are you reading/listening to/watching at the moment?
I've been watching 90s cartoons that haven't necessarily held the test of time. Specifically Marvel cartoons. I was thinking of reimagining some story arcs through illustration and short loop animations for some practice. I've also been reading some pūrākau, making plans for another series of prints.

Who is your art crush?
Lisa Reihana, if I met her I'd probably cry.

If you had one wish for the art world what would it be?
More artist collabs please.