Perlen meiner Mutter is a playful first collaboration between Dagmar Dyck and Lisa Geue, exploring the topic of ‚adornments‘ in both their cultures, which includes research, reclamation and the celebration of practices and meanings surrounding female identity and cultural rituals.

Both share German Whakapapa, both are currently living in Aotearoa and both met by chance. Each artist would create elements mirroring their field such as sculptural elements, weaving practices, print making. They would then come together and in putting the pieces together, create a Kaupapa between their cultures, female identities and work as artists.


Dagmar Vaikalafi Dyck is a New Zealand artist of Tongan and German descent. Dyck completed a Bachelor for Fine Arts through Elam School of Fine Arts in 1994 and a Post-Graduate Diploma of Fine Arts in 1995. She was the first woman of Tongan descent to do so. Dyck’s prints and paintings are often inspired by her cultural heritage and explore the textile practices of Tonga.
Dagmar holds several governance roles and is a Council Board member (Ministerial Appointment) for The Teaching Council of Aotearoa, New Zealand. She sits on the NCEA Pacific Peoples Review Panel for the Ministry of Education, the Pacific Advisory Group for Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland War Memorial Museum and is on the Executive Committee for Aotearoa NZ Association of Art Educators and Aotearoa Tongan Teachers Association.