24 October - 18 January
Opening Event: October 23, 5:30 - 7:30PM
Eva During (Eva Ding):
Under the Bridge
Hand-stitched shā bāo filled with wheat, grain, and bean, and digital media installation. Courtesy of the artist.
Eva During retraces the path of Aotearoa New Zealand’s first Chinese immigrants by following the Clutha River to the historic goldmining settlements of Lawrence and Arrowtown, sites that bear witness to their endeavours dating back 160 years. Along this journey, she collects fallen leaves and branches—material embodiments of the land’s temporal memory.
The Chinese proverb 落叶归根 (luò yè guī gēn), translated as “fallen leaves return to their roots,” is a metaphor for the cyclical rhythms of nature and encapsulates a universal human yearning for origin—be it a physical homeland, cultural belonging, or emotional anchorageand is particularly poignant in circumstances of displacement, ageing, and loss.
Back in the studio, During transfers the imprints of these natural elements onto white cotton using indigo tie-dye. The resulting ‘blueprinted’ textiles, inseparable from nostalgia, are meticulously hand-stitched into shā bāo (沙包)—small bags weighted with beans and grains—evocative of a childhood game common in Chinese culture. These quilted forms are pouches of memory and tenderness, articulating an intimate dialogue between the reminiscences of the artist’s grandmother’s sewing and the complexities of the adapted identity in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Hundreds of shā bāo (沙包) form a winding riverbed across the gallery floor, creating a tactile landscape that explores cultural identity, collective cultural memory, and the quiet strength passed down through generations of Chinese immigrants.
For During, stones carry a reminiscent weight—sediments accumulated in the riverbeds of memory and time. She envisions these ‘stones,’ both literal and metaphorical, becoming softer and lighter, suggesting a reimagining of the burdens of history. While the river’s current remains unyielding and history immutable, a gentle movement flows with the hope for transformation.
This exhibition is supported by The Arts House Trust and the Dunedin School of Art, Otago Polytechnic, Te Kura Matatini ki Otago. Eva During is the 2025 recipient of The Arts House Trust & Dunedin School of Art Graduate Exhibition Scholarship.
One of the greatest hurdles for any fine arts graduate embarking on a career as a professional artist is to secure opportunities to exhibit in Auckland and/or to be represented by an Auckland commercial gallery. This Scholarship provides selected graduating students with an opportunity to exhibit at the prestigious Pah Homestead in Auckland, including a targeted introduction to the Auckland art market.
About the Artist
Over twelve years of living in Aotearoa New Zealand, Eva During has navigated the complex processes of deconstructing and reconstructing personal identity—an experience shared by many first-generation immigrants. Her journey has been shaped by persistent solitude, cultural estrangement, and a continuous search for a sense of belonging, marked by the tension between her inherited traditions and the realities of her adopted home.
The inherited identity, when placed in juxtaposition with a different culture, often gives rise to a new self that emerges through a slow and demanding process. It involves not only accepting the unfamiliar but also letting go of what once felt essential. Through this ongoing negotiation, identity reconfigures, though not without difficult questions, accompanied by moments of vulnerability and isolation.
Cultural memory becomes a safe place within this uncertainty, like a shelter in a storm or the quiet safety of a womb, offering a fleeting yet concrete connection to the original identity. For During’s years of art practice, that place of return is the memory of her late grandmother—a guiding presence and source of strength.
Eva During is currently studying for her MFA at the Dunedin School of Art, following the completion of her BVA (Honours) in Ceramics and Sculpture in 2023.