Emma Louise Pratt
Emma Louise Pratt studied at Ilam School of Fine Art, Canterbury University, New Zealand. She was the runner up in the New Zealand Molly Morpeth Canaday Award (2005), and a finalist in the Norsewear Award (2007) again in New Zealand, finalist in the Focus Abengoa International Painting Prize, Spain (2014) and finalist in the Parkin Drawing Prize (2019) in New Zealand.
Emma is known for her landscape-based work where she explores specific landscapes that convey significance to her either for their historical or personal importance, serving as they always have, as a personal travel map. Her work is currently moving into the figurative realm as she explores narratives for a graphic novel.
Wandering Folk and Identity in a Global Present
Emma views herself as part of “the wandering folk.” A descendant of migrants, and a migrant herself, she always finds herself in the position of the visitor, the outsider, the other. She explores in her work the multifaceted tensions and shifting borders of what identity is in a global present. This reflection is also informed by her training in museology and love of history, both geological and human.
With this knowledge and quiet observation of everyday life around her, she interweaves her stories and stories of the land where she presently lives (Seville, Spain 2006-2017, Cambridge UK since 2017). Her children began to collaborate in the making of her work as a way of negotiating parenting and an arts practice. Echoes of their drawing and mark-making, either free of directed, can be seen in her more recent work.
Carrying this idea forward, where the studio is a state of mind rather than a physical space, she began a relationship with a local school where she would create a pop-up art studio once a week. Children were invited to come and draw with her. They drew beside her and on her work. This year was a year of drawing. Given the upheaval of moving countries, culture, and language (again), Emma had decided to strip back her practice to drawing as a way of easing into a new home, life, and community. Due to the need for mobility, immediacy, economy and accessibility, drawing also lent itself to her context.
Out of her experiences, Emma has developed a workshop for teachers about drawing in the classroom. This is aimed at teachers with little visual arts background with the objective of helping them feel more confident about using drawing as a communicative tool in language lessons.
Emma is involved with the Visual Arts Circle, a group of language teaching practitioners with an interest in multi-modal literacy and explores the concept of being a teaching artist.
Emma has exhibited through Whitespace Contemporary Art in Auckland, New Zealand since 2005. She began exhibiting her work in TJFA in Palmerston North, New Zealand in 2001.
Written Work
“The Image in English Language Teaching” published by Gunther Press 2017, a chapter about teaching artists and running an artist in schools project.
Emma wrote for Art All magazine regularly over nine years 2005-2014. Art All Magazine was a periodic magazine for the arts sector in Aotearoa New Zealand, published by Artists Alliance. An archive of her past articles and other pieces can be found in the blog Progress.
Illustration, Design, and Course Development
Emma is the founder of an online teacher development platform: ELTCampus and Co-Director of Frameworks Education Group. She develops and creates online learning.
Education
Present: Life, curiosity and play.
2008: Master in Programming and Web Design, Spain
2006: Portrait painting under the tutelage of Seville Painter Meña Morillas, Spain
2000: Landscape painting under the tutelage of Seville Painter Paco Broca, Spain
1999: Cambridge CELTA, Seville, Spain
1995: Post Graduate Diploma in Museum Studies ( Equivalent of present Master) Massey University, Palmerston North New Zealand
1991 – 1994: Ilam School of Fine Art Canterbury University, Christchurch New Zealand
Projects, Collaborations, Presentations, Performance, Workshops & Exhibitions
July 2021: Cambridge Open Studios
Exhibition and workshop drop-in space, Cambridge, UK
July 2020: Cambridge Open Windows
Citywide Lockdown Exhibition, Cambridge, UK
Jan – March 2020: Migration Stories Project
In collaboration with HonC!, community project gathering and responding to migration stories of our community. Paused during the pandemic.
October 2019: Ways of Seeing: Drawing as a Pathway to Deeper Thinking
Image Conference, Brussels
August 2019: New Work on Paper
Whitespace Contemporary Art, Auckland www.whitespace.co.nz New Zealand
April 2019: Workshop: Ways of Seeing: Drawing as a Pathway to Deeper Thinking
IATEFL Conference, Liverpool, UK
October 2018 to present: Artists in Schools Project and Artist Residency
Fawcett Primary School, Cambridge, UK
October 2018: Athens Image Conference Workshop
Athens, Greece
April 2018: A Workshop in Three Acts & Artist in Residence
Hilton and Brighton Centre, IATEFL International Conference, Brighton, United Kingdom
July 2017: Infinity Has No Centre: New Work
Whitespace Contemporary Art, Auckland www.whitespace.co.nz New Zealand
December 2016: Cinco Años
Group Show at Wabi Sabi Gallery, Seville, Spain
November 29 2016: Paintings
Whitespace Gallery, Auckland www.whitespace.co.nz New Zealand
October 2016: The Image Conference: Talk: Artists in Schools for Language Learning
Malta
May 2016: Colegio Beaterio de la Santisima Trinidad: Artists in Schools for Language Learning Project
Seville, Spain
November 2015: Group Show
Arusha Gallery at the Edinburgh Art Fair, Edinburgh, UK
October 2015: Innovate ELT Conference: Talk: Building Community for Teacher Development
Barcelona, Spain
May 2015: Group Show
Arusha Gallery, Edinburgh, UK
April 2015: Nada en Común
Group Show at Wabi Sabi Gallery, Seville, Spain
October 2014: Learning Technology SIG: Talk: Reflections on Building an Online Course and Social Learning
Dublin, Ireland
May 2014: Postcards from the Garden of the Moorish King
Whitespace Gallery, Auckland www.whitespace.co.nz New Zealand
August 2013: Witness
Whitespace Gallery, Auckland www.whitespace.co.nz New Zealand
August 2012: Irene Ferguson and Emma Pratt: Witness
Hastings City Art Gallery www.hastingscityartgallery.co.nz New Zealand
August 2010: Look up Kathie Visual Work and Monologue
Whitespace Gallery, Auckland www.whitespace.co.nz New Zealand
August 2008: 40 Day Visual Work, Video, Audio and Spoken Works
GNS Science, Lower Hutt Whitespace Gallery, Auckland www.whitespace.co.nz New Zealand
November 2007 -present: Christmas Group Shows
Whitespace Gallery www.whitespace.co.nz Auckland, New Zealand
October, November 2007: Work from the Sanlucar Residency: Whakariuka nga Manu Inquietas son las Aves
New Works Solo Exhibition The British Institute, Seville and Tartaneros4, Sanlucar de Barrameda, Spain
September 2007: The Island Dweller New Works
Whitespace Gallery www.whitespace.co.nz Auckland, New Zealand
August 2007: TJFA Celebrating 10 Years Group Show
Taylor Jensen Gallery Palmerston North, New Zealand
May 2007: Group Show
Peter Rae Gallery Dunedin, New Zealand
August 2006: Elvis is a Go Man
Whitespace Gallery www.whitespace.co.nz Auckland, New Zealand
October 2005: Ki a Te Popi
Whitespace Gallery www.whitespace.co.nz. Auckland, New Zealand
August 2005: Journey to the Mountain
Taylor Jensen Gallery Palmerston North, New Zealand
March 2005: Stations of the Cross
St Andrews Presbyterian Church Palmerston North, New Zealand
October 2004: The Desert Road
Martinborough Gallery for Contemporary Art Martinborough, New Zealand
2003: Objects found on Shelves and Tables
McCormack Studio Gallery Wellington, New Zealand
2003: Interior
Taylor Jensen Gallery Palmerston North, New Zealand
2002: Home Land
Taylor Jensen Gallery Palmerston North, New Zealand
2001: Tres Mujeres en el Ateneo Group show
Ateneo Seville, Spain
1995: Time Marking
Community Arts Centre Hastings, New Zealand