They really are the dream girls; between them producing so much breathtaking and purposeful art across the country, that it’s hard not to be in awe. If you have ever frequented the windy city of Pōneke, you will likely have observed the streets undergoing a much needed facelift, with pops of colour and visual storytelling spanning the lengths of buildings, walls, halls and all - the work of a talented trio of artists and friends who are exciting in their own right, but even more powerful as a collective.

Dream Girls Art Collective is the collaborative mahi of Miriama Grace-Smith, Xoë Hall and Gina Kiel. Their work both motivates and stimulates, introducing new ways of looking to both street art and modern art practices - completely changing the landscape of the genre, and paving the way for other young female identifying creatives hoping to make a splash in the art world. 

Their striking work adorns various public spaces in Porirua and Wellington city, including the lifts of a co-working space, carparks, construction hoardings and shop windows, and stage art at last year’s CubaDupa festival. They’ve also displayed their work upstairs at Wellington vintage institution Hunters and Collectors, and within a traditional gallery space at Toi Pōneke Gallery.

Although it feels that historically street art has not been taken seriously by the mainstream, it is exactly this marginality that enables street art to stay disruptive. It has the full potential to give marginalised narratives a public face, transcending boundaries traditionally associated with art. This trio goes above and beyond this brief, quite literally, leaving their mark on the public sphere. Street art is no longer the exclusive boy’s club it once was - and these women are a testament to that. 

Shelley Botticelli - herself a talented mural artist and illustrator - chats to the collective, talking about all things art, magic and the power of collaboration.

Shelley: Tell me about how Dream Girls came to be.

Gina: It all happened very organically. We have all been friends and known each other for years and we collaborated on our first mural project at a space called 257 in Pōneke in 2020. We discovered that we flowed well together artistically and energetically and had a lot of fun hanging out and painting. It seems as though other people picked up on that vibe and we got invited to collaborate on a few other projects, so we decided to make it official. 

How do you find the balance between all of your different styles and what makes it work?

Miriama: Definitely magic. We all seem to find where we fit well and at the end of each collaborative work, look at different ways we can tie everything together so the project feels complete. 

Xoë: Magic makes it work 😉

Gina: Yeah magic! And the process in which we combine our work is important, the balance of having an equal amount of each of us in every artwork so it's not focusing on one of us individually but the three of us equally combined creates a new entity.

‍How do you find being a female collective affects your experience in the art world?

Miriama: Most of our experiences have been really amazing. On some occasions we can come across projects we feel we don't align with. Because we are strong wāhine I feel like it's pretty important to the three of us that we express why the kaupapa of some projects may not align with us. This is one of the things I love most about our collective: none of us is afraid to speak up when it comes to the integrity of our mahi and the mahi of other artists. It's so cool not being the only wahine in a room speaking up!

Gina: It feels very positive and I feel good vibes from people in response to our collective energy, we lift each other up and have each other's backs.

What are some of the important messages or themes you want to convey with your work?

Gina: Channelling the magical and mystical experiences of life, sharing stories, empowering others and making places feel vibrant and colourful.

Miriama: To be brave! Don't be afraid to be different and you. I love that anyone can interpret our mahi anyway they feel, and the magic that the three of us create together, but also I love how different our mahi is. I hope it encourages others to be who they are.

Shelley: What advice do you have for young up and coming artists?

Xoë: Be brave and persevere. Do what you want to do, not what people tell you you should do...unless you are asking for their advice.

Miriama: Don't be afraid to be yourself. Just be you! It's cool to be different. If you feel like you don't fit in, don't be afraid to carve your own path.