Art being used as therapy

Tu Tangata, Issue 16, 1 March 1984, Page 10

Art being used as therapy

A Wellington woman is using art to give confidence to young people under the umbrella of the matua whangai programme. Tui Hamon says a lot of the young people that she has worked with have untapped talent in the art field. She has been granted money for a three month work programme which utilises referals from the courts.

Tui speaks highly of her pupils from the Epuni Boys Home and what they have achieved. Several murals have been completed for community groups and Tui says people are enthusiastic about the change in the pupils.

“Instead of young people being institutionalised and made to feel worthless, they see that there is something of value that they can do.”

Tui who is an artist herself, says the therapeutic value of the artwork cancels out the sense of personal inadequacy.

She encourages emotional free form work, and then hard edge murals where the routines are kept simple. She’s had most success with this type of therapy where boredom and even agressiveness are relieved by the outlet of painting.