Soraya Rhofir, Rough Rough exhibition view. 2017. The Engine Room, Wellington, New Zealand. Photograph by Annie Lee.

Jun 2017 — Aug 2017

Soraya Rhofir

French artist Soraya Rhofir’s re-mixes the found and the banal in her collages. She gathers 1990’s images and motifs she sources from CD Rom clip art, 16-bit video game graphics, B-Z grade films and ‘suggested serving’ images on food-packaging, to produce collages which resolve as small paper works and as large scale installations.

In her work Rhofir poses questions about ideas of beauty and ugliness. Her installations of life-size cardboard cut-outs have brought figures such as Miss Piggy face to face with the likes of Venus de Milo, and her dioramas composed ‘via’ Google image searches are reminiscent of scenes from a Hieronymous Bosch painting. The artist proposes that her use of popular imagery is “beyond good and bad taste”.

Soraya Rhofir. 2017. Photograph by Harry Culy.

During her residency at Te Whare Hēra, Rhofir produced an installation which included three-dimensional sculptural components made from textiles, inflatable canvas and carved foam. The resulting exhibition Rough Rough was shown at The Engine Room Gallery at Massey University in August 2017.

  • Soraya Rhofir, Rough Rough exhibition view. Chair and Desk Silhouettes. Inflatable sculpture and wire, in situ presentation, 2017. The Engine Room. Photo by Annie Lee.

  • Soraya Rhofir, Rough Rough exhibition view. 2017. The Engine Room, Wellington, New Zealand. Photograph by Annie Lee.

  • Soraya Rhofir, Rough Rough exhibition view. 2017. The Engine Room, Wellington, New Zealand. Photograph by Annie Lee.

  • Soraya Rhofir, Rough Rough, three works in situ. Chair and Desk Silhouettes, inflatable sculpture and wire, 2017; Untitled, coated foam and wire, 2017; Poly-grl, digital printing on fabric, mesh collage, 2017. The Engine Room, Wellington, New Zealand. Photograph by Annie Lee.

  • Soraya Rhofir, Stingray Bag. Fabric, zip and straps, in situ presentation, 2017. The Engine Room, Wellington, New Zealand. Photograph by Annie Lee.

  • Soraya Rhofir, Hi Visibility Cape (detail). Zipping cape and belt, printed fabric and straps, 2017. The Engine Room, Wellington, New Zealand. Photograph by Annie Lee.

  • Soraya Rhofir, Hi Vis Memory (detail). Digital printing on fabric, pearls, straps, 2017. The Engine Room, Wellington, New Zealand. Photograph by Annie Lee.

  • Soraya Rhofir, Untitled. Coated foam and wire, 2017. The Engine Room, Wellington, New Zealand. Photo by Annie Lee.

  • Soraya Rhofir, Untitled. Coated foam and wire, 2017. The Engine Room, Wellington, New Zealand. Photo by Annie Lee.

  • Soraya Rhofir, The Ancient One (work in progress). Video still, 2016. © Soraya Rhofir.

  • Soraya Rhofir, Next sandals (work in progress). Video still, 2016. © Soraya Rhofir.

  • Clover. Video still from A Mad Museum, 2016. Director: Trent Harris, art direction: Soraya Rhofir.

  • Soraya Rhofir, Avalon Shelf & Toon (detail). Print on wood and faux furniture, 2013. Galerie Moins Un, Paris, France.

  • Soraya Rhofir, You Want. Print on found PMMA, 130 x 60 cm, 2012. Flash Society, Les Eglises, Chelles, France. Photography by Didier Barroso.

  • Soraya Rhofir, Gargoyle-Crypt Area. Prints on wood and Plexiglas®, faux rocks, 2012. Flash Society, Les Eglises, Chelles, France. Photography by Didier Barroso.

  • Soraya Rhofir, Busy on Faux Rocks (detail). Print on glass, 100 x 70 cm, and faux rocks, 2012. Flash Society, Les Eglises, Chelles, France. Photography by Didier Barroso.

  • Soraya Rhofir, Ball. Paper collage, 21 × 29.7 cm, 2010.

  • Soraya Rhofir, Double Consciousness (detail). Installation, prints on cardboard and vinyl paper, 2010. Fondation Ricard, Paris. Photography by Didier Barroso.

Soraya Rhofir’s residency was supported by the French Embassy in New Zealand.

With support from