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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
World
Eva Corlett in Wellington

‘It’s good to be alive’: groundbreaking New Zealand artist brings light and joy to city streets

Sallie Culy poses with her artwork on Courtenay Place, Wellington, New Zealand.
Artist Sallie Culy poses with one of her works in Wellington, New Zealand. Photograph: Hagen Hopkins/The Guardian

“It’s good to be alive,” artist Sallie Culy says as she finishes a ham and cheese sandwich at one of the many cafes she visits most days in Wellington. “It really is good to be alive.”

Sallie’s words, like much of how she interacts with the world, are life-affirming. As a person, and as an artist, she celebrates connection, imagination, joy and the daily interactions that make life shimmer. Her approach is a welcome reprieve at a time when the world grapples with tragedy, and the city Sallie loves – Wellington – is still catching its breath after a weeks-long protest that ended with parliament’s grounds burning.

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