Art, Architecture and how to Live Best with Both
Hear from three expert and award winning panellists on how art shapes and enhances their architecture and interior design work.
Jeremy Hansen | Writer | Moderator
Mike Stiff | Aotearoa Art Fair Architect, Stiff + Trevillion | Speaker
Sonja Hawkins | Interior Designer | Speaker
DJ Tai | Cheshire Architects | Speaker
Jeremy Hansen is a writer and editor based in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. For 11 years he was the editor of HOME magazine. He was also the editor of Paperboy, a free Auckland weekly magazine, from 2016–18. He has been a contributor to Metro, North & South, New Zealand Listener and The Spinoff, and to US-based Architectural Record and Dwell magazines. He now works as a placemaker and facilitator of arts and culture projects in Auckland’s Britomart precinct.
Mike Stiff, based in London, UK, formed Stiff + Trevillion with Andy Trevillion in the early 1980’s later running the Studio’s Berlin office. Over the years he has taught at Westminster, Brighton and Sheffield Universities, he regularly assesses design awards, and contributes to magazines and building reviews. He works primarily on central London commercial projects, and has an overview of design across the studio. Stiff + Trevillion is the architect of the Aotearoa Art Fair.
Sonja Hawkins studied Interior Design in London in the late 80s before joining Auckland’s CDA (Corporate Design Associates), where she worked on retail, hospitality, and corporate fit-outs, including the Post Bank development and ANZ re-designs across Asia. After leaving CDA to start her family, Sonja continued her design practice while raising four children. Her projects include Avanti Finance, Te Arai Beach House, and Josh Emetts restaurants Onslow and Gilt Brasserie. In 2015, she co-founded ‘MyArt’, a non-profit supporting New Zealand’s art community. Sonja loves incorporating local artists and craftspeople into her projects, calling herself a ‘Maker’ with a passion for textiles and handmade work.
Dajiang (DJ) Tai, a former student of Pip, joined the Cheshire studio in 2008 and has since collaborated with Pip and Nat on major commercial projects, including Britomart and City Works Depot. DJ’s work ranges from leading high-rise constructions to selecting tree branches for custom furniture. He’s received multiple awards, including Emerging Designer of the Year and the NZIA Sir Miles Warren award. DJ also manages the studio’s Chinese client relationships and is currently designing hotels and large-scale rewilding projects in Te Waiponamu.
Let’s Talk Art presented by Aon, brings together 30 artists, curators, designers, and collectors for nine compelling talks over three days.
Entry to Let’s Talk Art is on a first come, first serve basis. There is no RSVP.
A valid ticket to the Aotearoa Art Fair 2025 is required for entry to this talk.