An exhibition of musically inspired works by Wellington artist/musician Otistik

Following a feature showing at the multi-media exhibition RISE in Auckland last month, Otis Chamberlain (a.k.a. Otistik) returns to the Capital to present a new collection of musically inspired art-works: SAFE IN SOUND.

Although more renowned within the New Zealand music scene for his involvement in such live acts as Police Lucipher, Optimus Prime, The Organiks and The Bad Apple Orchestra and mastemind behind the sell out multi-genre Players Ball event at Phoenix Theatre last April; Otis began exploring visual art in November 2001 and was soon invited to display his first two panels at NEW FRONTIERS new year event at Studio/Sub Nine WGTN (attended by 1600 people). Since then, a steady demand for one-off commissioned pieces (including a mural installation at Jam Hair on Cuba Street WGTN) and installations at various group exhibitions in both Auckland and Wellington have inspired Otis to accumulate a body of work that best reflected his passion for music in his new found love of the visual arts. The result is SAFE IN SOUND, twelve pieces that serve as an optic representation of Otis's sonic influence.

While his style could generally be regarded as "street", Otistik draws his graphic influences from graffiti, tattoo, comic, pop-art and design, and although not an aerosol artist (or "graff-writer") his leanings towards the aesthetics of hip-hop culture have earned him an inclusion in the infamous DISRUPT THE SYSTEM exhibition at the forth-coming Aotearoa Hip Hop Summit in Auckland this September.

SAFE IN SOUND opens at new Wellington gallery The Family (Level 1, The Oaks complex on Cuba Mall) on Thursday June 11th (6pm) and will run for three weeks. The opening night event will feature groove incisions from Matterhorn resident DJ Vee and horn-blower Toby "Clubba" Laing.