Artist Ben Stewart with some of his art. He says art and being a part of the Toi Ora community have been invaluable for his mental health. Photo: RNZ / Jessica Hopkins
An Auckland mental health service is livening up its space with artwork by artists who have faced mental health challenges.
The Kāinga Tiaki Centre launched an exhibition of 20 works in its Mount Eden clinic in collaboration
with Toi Ora, an art therapy programme many of its service users (whaiora) work with.
The exhibition's opening was attended by Minister of Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith.
'Cabin in the Woods' by Ben Stewart. Photo: RNZ / Jessica Hopkins
Olive, an Occupational Therapist at Kāinga Tiaki, said the project was inspired by a client they referred to Toi Ora, who wanted to show off their work.
"They would come in here and look at our big blank walls and say 'we don't have enough room to exhibit our work - can we use your walls,' which I thought was fair enough.
"I talked to them about a partnership ... where we can exhibit and sell Toi Ora artwork and give it a place to be seen."
Olive said it had been empowering for their whaiora to celebrate the work of their peers and focus on the positive.
"In a clinical environment, most of the focus is on treating illness.
"Being able to see expressions of recovery and that we are more than our illness, to me is a really important part of this initiative and having this work on the walls."
Artist Ben Stewart's paintings were among the works included in the centre's first exhibition.
He was honoured to have his artwork displayed in the clinic.
"I have been a service user of Kāinga Tiaki since I was young and it was a beautiful full circle moment for me to be able to give back to something that has helped me so much throughout my life."
'Rose Thorn' by Ben Stewart. Photo: RNZ / Jessica Hopkins
Stewart said art and being a part of the Toi Ora community had been invaluable for his mental health.
"It has given me a purpose to my life and a routine and a supportive environment that I can find structure in."
Toi Ora Director Susanne Ritzenhoff said the opportunity had been uplifting for their artists and had brought more people to Toi Ora.
"When people come into the space and see the difference art makes to the lives of the artists it's just incredible."
"The art actually speaks for itself. It's not good because it's done by someone with mental health challenges, it's good because it's good."
'Runes' by Ben Stewart. Photo: RNZ / Jessica Hopkins
She hoped the initiative would soon be expanded into other clinical environments.
The works on display at the centre could be purchased on Toi Ora's website.
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