Flocking Kiwis is a four episode series which takes a look at how young New Zealanders transition into life in The Big Apple.
New Zealanders have always flocked to London like moths to a post-colonial flame, but since the introduction of the J1 graduate visa, the floodgates have opened for young Kiwis to take a crack at the United States.
Emily Hartley-Skudder is a fine arts graduate from the University of Canterbury. Her work, which jumps between photography and painting, explores everyday objects and environments, which are constructed through miniature replicas.
After graduating from Ilam art school, Emily had secured a gallery to exhibit and sell her work in Wellington, giving her the freedom to concentrate on her creative output. Despite this - as well as the strong momentum happening within New Zealand’s art community - Emily made the decision to relocate to Brooklyn, New York.
Josh Burgess met with Emily in her adopted neighbourhood of Bed-Stuy to talk about how her first year living in New York has challenged and inspired her. Why does someone who has a good thing going at home decide to relocate to a notoriously hard city to live in?
WATCH: Episode 2, Episode 3 and Episode 4 of Flocking Kiwis
Video shot and edited by Julian Vares.
This content is brought to you with funding support from NZ On Air.
