The Claw is a collaborative art programme, curated by Rosabel Tan from Satellites. 

I have been involved as a soft sculptor to produce soft toys and worked along with talented artists Michael McCabe and Adam Ador. 

Like many suburbs in Tāmaki Makaurau, Northcote is currently undergoing immense transformation. A thousand new homes are currently being built, and over the next few years, the Town Centre will be redeveloped, with upgrades planned for the surrounding roads, reserves, and public spaces.

Our art project, The Claw, is a response to this moment of transition.

At a basic level, we saw this as an opportunity to do something exciting in a space that might have otherwise sat empty for months. We wanted to create something that would leave a smile on people’s faces, and we wanted to showcase the work of some very talented young artists.

There is also something in the act of playing The Claw – in trying to remove these creatures from their natural habitat and to take them to new homes – that we felt was quite profound. More often than not, displacement is
a scary experience. It leaves us feeling powerless. But there are certain ingredients – empathy, care, communication – that can change that experience, and we wanted to talk about that too.

We don’t claim to have any answers, or even all the questions. But we hope that The Claw creates a space for conversation, and hopefully a chance for you to take a memento home.

– Michael McCabe