Watch This Space: Meep

Music Is My Friend 

Artist Kophie Su’a-Hulsbosch/Meep 

Date March 2022 

Location St Asaph Street 

watchthisspace.org.nz/artwork/1043 

 Against a bold and striking orange background, Kophie’s massive female figure (a sort of stylised self-portrait of the artist) serves as a powerful declaration of existence and a personal ode to the influence of hip-hop.

With her backpack overflowing with the tools of graffiti (a spray can, a paint roller, and a sketchbook), and a painted legacy on the wall, Kophie’s character confidently strides through the city. Accompanied by a personification of hip-hop music plugged directly into her headphones, the mural serves as an acknowledgement of the influence of the culture on the artist’s development, a companion that ensures she is never alone.

A proud depiction of a young Polynesian woman squarely within a heavily male-centric sub-cultural world, rather than a subject to be observed, Kophie presents an assured, emboldened player exploring the world, unaffected by our gaze and defiantly making and leaving her mark. 

Explore more of Ōtautahi’s urban art on a Watch This Space guided street art tour! Email tours@watchthisspace.org.nz for booking information.