ANNA BORRIE
- tesssheerin
- Jan 20
- 2 min read
It’s 2026 and what better way to hop into the new year than to celebrate another artist's work.
What do you get when you combine rabbit poo, sewing machine magic, and plastic waste recycling? The amazing mind of New Zealand - born artist Anna Borrie, that’s what!
I’ve known Annie since we were five years old. We were both whirlwind children with copious amounts of energy. Our inherited work ethic and shared enjoyment of making meant we had a lot to contribute, using art as our language. Anna has always been a greenie. We lived rurally, I remember climbing an enormous tree together at Whitecliffs camp and taking a photograph at the very top. After looking through various boxes in the garage I couldn't locate the photo but trust me, not much has changed. We still both hug trees.
Anna has produced some fantastic work over the years, exploring a wide variety of mediums that I wanted to share. Rabbit poo pellet bra with LED lighting made the World of Wearable Arts Finalist of 2012.
A temporary installation: a tent made from plastic waste, sewn together and pitched next to a river in, Milford Sound, Aotearoa, titled Plastic Bag Tent, 2016.
Not to mention the work with Wairarapa’s Trust House as the 2014 ANZAC Fellow: a 10-metre harakeke cloak unveiled on ANZAC Day. Made with aroha and in collaboration with NZ Pacific Studio, the project was supported by many contributors from the local community, including descendants of the fallen soldiers honoured by the Bridge.
Her latest projects include dabbling in music and experimenting with more temporary installation works, such as the Hybrid Flower series, consisting of feijoa flowers made from food wrappers and cigarette butts. Another work, Wrapped in Plastic, is an installation made from recycled plastic that imitates the exterior of an entire pharmacy shopfront, created for C.A.L.L.E Lavapiés 2019 in Madrid.
In June this year, I had the pleasure of spending time touring the streets and galleries, including PhotoESPAÑA. Annie carried a lomography camera, snapping photographs every so often as we explored (read more about our adventures on a previous post).
It goes without saying that Anna has achieved a great deal whilst going through some scary health problems in recent years.
Her idea had been brewing for some time and has recently begun to come to fruition: the A Letter To An Artist project. It is a way of sharing solidarity, starting conversations, and opening up dialogue with creative minds who have left a lasting impression. Anna is a wonderful writer, so the letters promise to be an enjoyable read or two. Stay tuned for new letters, released monthly (ish).
Anna now lives in Madrid but still has Aotearoa in her heart. If you are enjoying what you see here, head to her website.
