Wallpaper, chalkboards and distorted videos display the stories of mental health, trauma, reproductive rights and body autonomy.

Otago-based artist Maggie Covell’s latest exhibition, Good as Gold, is on display at the Forrester Gallery and uses these methods to start a conversation about trauma and its different forms.

In the exhibition there are two samples of wallpaper.

The colourful and glitched images aim to take wallpaper from a decorative item to the main focus, Covell says.

“Throughout New Zealand we've always had decorative wallpaper and artworks and things on the walls [of doctor surgeries and hospitals], so that's kind of reflective of that as well.”

One wallpaper has a repeating pill image, a post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) pill, with a tartan background.

The tartan is a connection to Oamaru’s Scottish history and Maggie’s own Scottish ancestry.

The other wallpaper is based on damask patterns and focuses on reproductive rights, using images of medical devices associated with birth, menopause and bodily autonomy.

“Because women's bodies kind of revolve around a lot of medical devices.”

She says there is a “dark history” associated with medical practices and women.

“They used to experiment on women and particularly indigenous women.”

Maggie’s exhibition is interactive and people can erase parts of a chalk drawing or do a puzzle.

“But the interesting thing with this is they're actually ethical experiments. They're asking people to interact, but also to think. So I guess it's like, who acts before they think, and who thinks before they act.

“But the whole idea is that with this - with moving it around - if you take it away. You're sort of stopping other people in your community figuring out what this means and then you kind of disrupt the experience.”

Glitching and distortion is common throughout Maggie’s exhibition.

“I'm really into glitch,” she says.

“When you have survived trauma and you're trying to piece it together, that's what it looks like. 

“It's a good way to visually show things like distress and trauma but it's not quite together, it's sort of pulled out and it sort of gives a visual effect that's a bit unsettling.

“You really have to stand in and figure it out. And that's what trauma is like.”

Good as Gold is Maggie’s first exhibition in the Forrester Gallery.

She has previously exhibited in Ashburton, Invercargill, Dunedin and the North Island.

Her exhibition title is based on an old saying.

“Good as gold is a phrase that's been around for a really long time. People will ask how you are - ‘I'm fine, I'm good as gold.’ Doesn't mean that's the case.”

The phrase was also used when women were prescribed a “rest cure” - “they were locked away until they were right as rain or good as gold”.

“And I like using really old phrases for titles and to name things because it brings it back into the current.”

Maggie is currently studying towards her masters in fine arts at the University of Otago and as part of her study has created a Facebook group with 160 people from New Zealand and Australia.

She shared her story of “violent sexual trauma” with the group and attached a Google form for others to share their trauma stories anonymously, which were used to inform the art she makes.

Maggie is originally from Rotorua, but moved to Dunedin in 2010, when she started university. 

She began studying towards her masters in 2021.

Good as Gold will be on display until June 30, and an artist talk will be held at the Forrester next Saturday (May 25), at 1.30pm.