From the Electric Avenue Bar to Mena’s Convenience store, you can’t miss Wellington artist Xoe Hall’s murals. We chatted with Xoe about her painted babes…
From the Electric Avenue Bar to Mena’s Convenience store, you can’t miss Xoe Hall’s murals. Her works are now iconic in their own right, as well as in their place in the assorted Wellington culture mash.
Xoe Hall’s murals are seductive and enigmatic yet possess sinister and edgy connotations. This essence is captured in other mediums that Xoe chooses to work with, particularly her glitter portraits and bold babes on canvas.
Growing up, Hall was influenced by New Zealand artists such as Simon Morse, Misery and Marty Fuck. Nowadays, Hall’s attitude remains rooted within the underground art scene, which ironically but surely contributes to the steady and growing momentum of her career.
Below: Xoe Hall with her art works. Photo by Mahana Vardey.
Below: Avenue of Dreams mural for Electric Avenue. Photo by Xoe Hall
So how did she get started?
“I guess I was born into it. From the moment I discovered crayons, it was clear that I had quite the obsession with creating colour and art. My family are all very creative so this was well nurtured. I also think I am quite lucky to have grown up on a farm in the country. Without much outside influence before college, my imagination was left to grow quite wild."
The momentous click hit Xoe when her best friend honoured her with the flat truth that she was indeed, an artist. It was this rippleless flash that triggered the then eighteen year olds’ gifted inner tenacity. Three years later she’d managed to churn it into a fulltime career.
Below: Red Bull murals at Mena’s Convienience store Wellington. Photo by Xoe Hall.
The first gallery to exhibit Xoe Hall’s work was the Cuba Street gallery, Eyeball Kicks, in 2007. “I was over the moon” she recalls. However, aside from Eyeball Kicks, Xoe was experiencing difficulty in finding a gallery space that was suited to her taste and meshed with her own style. This struggle eventually led to an opportunity for Xoe and Dave Smith, in their decision to open their own gallery focusing on the underground art scene.
“I wanted a really grungy space on Cuba Street, somewhere we could make a creative mess, and the very first space we looked at was perfect; 166 Cuba Street. Thanks to a great David Bowie episode of Flight of the Conchords we found our name: "Manky Chops". When we moved in to start setting up, all these amazing artists just appeared; artists I had looked up to for many years, giving us advice on how we ought to go about opening something we knew nothing about."
Below: Glitter Bowie by Xoe Hall.
The gallery was launched in May 2008, with the work of over thirty of New Zealand’s top underground and street artists displayed, and people lining down the street waiting their turn to get involved in the commotion. “The artists kept coming, as did amazing exhibitions, crazy open nights, rad art events, a bit of ruckus, controversy and damn good times rolled on for four years” says the sirenic artist.
During the ‘Manky Chops Era’, Xoe frequently exhibited her work in both solo and group shows. Since running Manky Chops was a voluntary effort, her only option for income was through her commissioned murals and selling her artwork, which in turn, allowed her the flexibility of multi-tasking between her projects. Although Manky Chops closed in October 2011, Hall believes that she and Smith “created a monster” and they still host occasional pop up shows that celebrate the underground arts in New Zealand.
Below: Glitter Robert on canvas by Xoe Hall.
Since then, Xoe has kept busy with more muraling, and projects, like her solo exhibition in December 2012 ‘The Pop Rebellion’. She has also been trying her hand in fashion, or passably ‘anti-fashion’. This began with her ‘Mortal Gods’ collection in 2011, which consisted of collectible hand painted t-shirts and jacket-patches, with every piece original, handcrafted and signed.
“ I have always customized my own gears, bought my clothes second hand, and rebelled against the horrid idea of "trends", so I feel like I am helping out like minded people who just want something original, collectable and special for them, whether I am making their stuff or inspiring them to do it themselves. Mortal Gods is having fun and keeping it real.”
Below: Mortal Gods by Xoe Hall. Photo by Ashley of Dinosaurtoast.
When Xoe isn’t muraling, she is reworking jackets back to back. Also in the works is the recent launch of Xoe’s self-titled clothing label, which currently consists of a series of t-shirts, under Mortal Gods. Presently, everything by Mortal Gods is designed by Xoe, however she hopes to have more designers on board at some stage in the future.
Below: Al Fresco K Road Street art festival Auckland Collaboration mural with Erin Forsyth. Photo by Xoe Hall.
To find out more about Xoe’s Hall’s artwork head to http://www.xoehall.co.nz
To learn about Mortal Gods go to https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mortal-Gods
And also check out her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/XoeHallArt
Dinosaurtoast mortal gods photo credit https://www.facebook.com/DTisyourfriend
By Reema Alfouir, August 2013
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