Hello, I’m…

Saying Hello as a stepping stone

Sometimes you begin something without knowing where it might go. Hello, I’m started as a simple idea. I personally hate plastic conversations like those that originate from wearing a ‘hello, i’m’ badge at a conference. It seems to me that conversation is doomed. However, I wanted to use hello as a way to have a real conversation. Something that reflects who I am and who you might be.

And you never know where that thought might take you.

Originally developed for 'disease' an exhibition of Margaret Lewis’s works in March 2020, ‘hello, I’m … slightly awkward’ was a place for different communities to come and stitch and get to know each other. This activity was postponed to the first Covid lockdown. It was then offered as a zoom activity as NZ endured 72 days of lockdown and we all went a bit mad with fear and boredom.

It then blew up (into large sized banners) and ‘hello, I’m … slightly awkward’ was offered as a residency at Objectspace in November 2020, sitting in Caravannex.

It then morphed a little as ‘hello, I’m missing you’ and was included in Artweek AKL 21 in November 2021 as part of the Changing Lanes project.

On Display - look up

The number of people living in the central city of Tāmaki Makaurau has grown by over 40,000 in the last 20 years. And that community is diverse with a variety of different languages being spoken. Hello I’m … missing you begins to explore some of the languages we overhear and share a little. Lewis has invited people from some of those communities to share a thought in their native language. Your challenge? Find someone who speaks that language and ask them to translate.

On display - look down

With the community

Hello, I'm ...slightly awkward - come sew your own badge

Meeting new people, unless you’re a natural at networking, can be awkward and embarrassing. So I aim to help you take the stress out of this with a name badge to break the ice in those situations.
Instead of just sewing your name, we hope you will explore other ways to respond or a different way to introduce yourself in English, Te Reo, Hindi, Arabic, Mandarin or Cantonese.

Everyone is welcome to explore sewing or just take a seat and relax. The welcome mat will be out

Technical Information: 

Large banners with hand stitched text on builders scrim 1500mm x 1200mm

Small badges with handstitched text in insect mesh 100mm x 50mm

Small badges - screen printed for handstitching 100mm x 50mm

Measurement: 2100mm x 1500mm