Publication launch: in the prow of myself

“Only with the very tip would I wish to sew, sting, K*ll. The rest of the body, what comes after, what a waste of time! Only ever travel in the prow of myself.” – Claude Cahun

Gus Fisher Gallery is proud to present in the prow of myself, a zine-style publication comprising newly commissioned texts written in response to the exhibition Studies for a Keepsake: Claude Cahun and Marcel Moore. With contributions by Jess Clifford, Amber Esau (Ngāpuhi/Manase) and Josiah Morgan (Kāi Tahu/Ngāti Maniapoto) and design by Gabi Lardies, these texts draw inspiration from Cahun and Moore’s vast body of work, from their Surrealist portraits to the “anti-memoir” Aveux non avenus (1930). Celebrate the launch with an evening of readings.

This publication is supported by Laura and Stephen Dee.

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Jess Clifford is a writer, editor and curator based in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington. Across writing and exhibition-making, her practice is informed by the intersections of literary poetics and artistic practice, moving image and performance. Curatorial projects and screenings include: These are Addressed to You, Enjoy Contemporary Art Space, 2026; Things are, they do not happen, Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery, 2025; Inas Halabi: The Centre Does Not Hold, Enjoy, 2024; A River Dies of Thirst, CIRCUIT Artist Moving Image, 2024; I’m so into you, The Physics Room, 2024; Pillow Talk: films by Barbara Hammer and To the Friend Who Did Not Save My Life, both Enjoy, 2023.

Amber Esau is a SāMāoRish (Ngāpuhi/Manase) writer from Tāmaki Makaurau. She is a poet, storyteller, and professional bots. Always vibing at a languid pace, her work has been published both in print and online. In 2023, she co-edited the queer poetry anthology Spoiled Fruit. She is a past recipient of the emerging Pasifika writer’s residency from the Michael King Writers Centre and the Ideas In Residence residency from the Basement Theatre. Earlier this year, Te Herenga Waka University Press published her debut collection, Hungus.

Josiah Morgan (he/him, Kāi Tahu/Ngāti Maniapoto) is a takatāpui writer, educator and theatre practitioner based in Ōtautahi Christchurch. His current practice engages with the relationship between labour and artistic output. He is also interested in the intersection between identity/action, love/violence and truth/fiction. In April 2026, he was the Visiting Writer at Washington State University’s Visiting Writers Program, to celebrate the reissue of his book The Texas Chainsaw Massacre with WSU’s Index Press. Also in 2026, his chapbook Black Window will be released in the featured poet slot of Poetry Aotearoa Yearbook. He is also the author of other books including i’m still growing (Dead Bird Books, 2024). He continues to work across disciplines and is currently working on The Court Theatre's production of Let The Right One In.

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