b"paletteleft and far left: Cinzahmininga highly-experimental industry proposed forleft: Artist Sheyne Tuffery Merkens has oftenour waters. We also painted one in Dunedin as well as(www.sheynetuffery.com) used his artwork as ananother in downtown Wellington off Egmont Street. collaborated on the expansive avenue to advocateCinzah says the creatures featured on the muralsWellington mural with a for the health of ourwere chosen based on the sealife and habitats moststyle and paint colours that oceans. One of hisbeautifully complement most recent murals inat risk. Key heroes to the campaign were the orangeCinzah's work. Image byWellington, which wasroughy and the majestic bubblegum coral. Working withKarl Sheridan.part of the Defend theResene Lumbersider Low Sheen tinted to colours frombelow left and right: Orange Deep initiative, bringsthe Resene Multi-finish range, I was spoilt for huesroughy and bubblegum coral sealife from far belowto reflect this subject matter. For the ocean tones, Ihave joined the streetscape on the waters surface toused turquoise colours such as Resene St Kilda, ReseneAucklands popular Ponsonby eye level on an Egmont Street laneway. TheTarawera and Resene Niagara teamed with rich orangeRoad to bring attention to mural was created withand red tones such as Resene Ayers Rock, Resenesome of our most at-risk Resene Lumbersider LowVanquish and Resene Red Oxide, he says. sealife and habitats. Its painted Sheen and features richI personally loved working on the Wellington muralin Resene Lumbersider Low hues like Resene St Kilda,Sheen tinted to Resene the most, where we collaborated with artist SheyneSt Kilda, Resene Tarawera, Resene Tarawera, ReseneTuffery. I painted a series of deep-sea fish swimmingResene Niagara, Resene Niagara, Resene Ayersdownthelaneway,integratedintothesurroundingAyers Rock, Resene Vanquish, Rock, Resene Vanquish and Resene Red Oxide.environment. The scene takes the viewer on a journey asResene Red Oxide and other Images by Karl Sheridan. they interact with the laneway and go about their dailyvivid colours from the Resene business. My favourite sea creature to paint was theMulti-finish range. Images by alfonsinoa deep-sea fish found in our waters here inMonster Valley/Monochrome, New Zealand. I felt its movement and expression werewww.monochrome.co.nz.Resene great to interpret through my style.Defend the Deep we delivered to the Minister for Oceans and Fisheriesa guest artist for Sea Walls: Artists for Oceans, as well asRed OxideAuckland, Wellington and Dunedin at the beginning of this term of government, explainshelping run operations. We would be keen to do more murals as part of this Karli. At that time, over 50,000 people had signedCinzah has also painted a number of other significantinitiative, says Karli, but we ran out of good weather Created with Resene Lumbersider Low Sheen in Resene St Kilda, to call for a ban on bottom trawling seamounts. ThatmuralprojectsaroundNewZealand,includingthein summer and autumn last year, andwell, you saw Resene Tarawera, Resene Niagara, Resene Ayers Rock, number is now over 80,000 and there has meanwhilecountrys largest mural to date: an ocean-themed pieceResene how this summer wentso its something we're looking Resene Vanquish, Resene Red Oxide and more. been an inquiry by the Environment Select CommitteewhichspanstheentirelengthofAucklandsHobsonTarawera to continue in the future. There is a big role for art in into the issue and a forum set up by the Ministry ofStreet Wharf that brings an exterior interface to the Newactivism, and we were really inspired by Sea Walls and Locals and visitors in three New Zealand cities may havePrimary Industries and Department of Conservation toZealand Maritime Museum. In 2021, I also painted twoResene other artivism projects the PangeaSeed Foundation noticed something fishy has been going onbut for alook into thiswhich we are really hoping will result infour-storey apartment buildings in central WellingtonResene St Kilda has run, many of which Cinzah has been involved in.worthy cause. Defend the Deep, spearheaded by theprotection for seamounts and their coral and sponge which was a huge feat, embracing all the elementsNiagara TheNGOsthatpartneredwiththeDSCCon Deep Sea Conservation Coalition (DSCC) alongsidecommunities this year. while painting through the thick of winter, he says. LastthisfirsttrioofmuralswereGreenpeaceAotearoa productioncompanyMonsterValley/Monochrome,Afterparticipatinginandhelpingtoorganiseayear, I had my fourth solo exhibition at Monster Valley in(Auckland),OurSeasOurFuture(Dunedin)and has been bringing attention to the future of our seasnumber of environmentally-conscious mural festivals,Auckland and I am currently learning to tattoo at a greatWWF-NZ (Wellington). Other environmental groups and the fragile life that dwells within it through a seriesartist Cinzah Merkens says joining in on this project waslittle bespoke rural studio here in Hawkes Bay called ElResene involved include Forest and Bird, LegaSea and Kiwis of impactful murals. a natural progression. It felt like the perfect fit to jumpVardoso things have been busy! Ayers Rock Against Seabed Mining (KASM). Be sure to keep your Ocean advocate Karli Thomas says the initiative is ain and get involved! Im very passionate about oceanSofar,therehavebeenthreemuralscompletedeyes peeled for more sealife splashing its way across the collaboration among eight environmental, oceans andconservation, so to be able to use my art as a tool toas part of the Defend the Deep project. We paintedcountry when warmer weather arrives.recreational fishing groups that share the aim of gettingspread awareness and gain momentum towards banningamuralrightinthehustleandbustleofAucklands seamounts fully protected from bottom trawling andunsustainablepracticeswasaprivilege.IvebeenPonsonby Road, focusing on the beauty and significanceResene To see more of Cinzahs work, visit www.cinzah.com.implementing a ban on seabed mining in New Zealandsinvolvedinnumerousmuralpaintingfestivalsaroundofourdeep-seacreaturesandhabitatscurrentlyatVanquish For more information on the Deep Sea Conservation waters. The murals were a follow up to a petition thatthe world, working with the PangeaSeed Foundation asrisk due to bottom trawling on seamounts and seabedCoalition, visit www.savethehighseas.org.52 blackwhitemag.com blackwhitemag.com 53"