Artist Biography
The practice of twisting taura tī kōuka (cabbage tree fibre rope) is a central pou in Zalk-Neale’s mahi toi, which they often combine with discarded plastic and waste materials to form intricate adornments and sculptural objects used in performance.
Zalk-Neale’s ropes bind the transgender experience with the transformative shapeshifting powers seen in pūrākau Māori, reinforcing their vision of queerness as an indicator of healthy natural and cultural systems.
They have presented projects with organisations including Govett-Brewster, Taipei Performing Arts Center, Māoriland, soft shell (Te Tuhi), Artspace Aotearoa, and Performance Art Week Aotearoa. As a recipient of a 2024 Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi Springboard Award, Zalk-Neale's mahi toi continues to shine with mentorship from Mataaho Collective artist Bridget Reweti.
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