TREASURE YOUR TRASH
Contemporary artist Lisa Watkins, better known as MyShinyMadness, transforms the chaos of modern life into unapologetically shiny, purposeful works of art.
A former head chef and DJ, Lisa learned to make something out of nothing – and fast. That scrappy confidence now fuels artworks built from what others throw away. For Lisa, busy hands became a compass; art became the way to breathe, to play, and at times, to protest.
Her process begins with the hunt: donated and found objects with strong bones – CDs, nail-polish bottles, VHS tape, toys, industrial offcuts, even costume jewellery. She sorts, experiments, and pushes these materials until they take on a new logic, forming bold assemblage and mixed-media works with colour balance, texture, story, and weight.
If it’s slightly ridiculous but deliberate, it sparks her interest. The aim is always emotion – whether “oh hell no” or “incredible” – followed by the quiet click of recognition: treasure your trash.
Since 2023, Lisa’s work has been recognised with First Place at the Waitākere Arts Awards, multiple People’s Choice nods, a scholarship to The Learning Connexion, and most recently, the 2025 Localised Sustainability Award (Ultimate Winner) for her innovative use of salvaged materials. A self-taught one-stop studio, she builds the work, photographs it, and releases prints alongside original pieces.
Stylistically, Lisa embraces confident colour and graphic edges, layered surfaces, and durable finishes – playful, purposeful, and unapologetically shiny. Underneath the polish is a clear kaupapa: care for Papatūānuku, question our appetite for newness, and celebrate the stories embedded in everyday objects. Her connection to place comes from people – whānau who pass along materials, shop owners who keep boxes, and community networks who arrive with bags of “could- be-somethings.” That generosity shapes her work, and her work gives shine back.
This month, Lisa’s outdoor sculpture Relax Rewind – a chair made entirely from VHS tapes – will be on display at NZ Sculpture OnShore, a charity event raising funds for Women’s Refuge. Her latest project, a giant green gecko crafted from more than 400 discarded Watercare worker boot soles destined for landfill, will soon feature in Aotearoa’s first fully sustainable sculpture trail – a bold new chapter in an already eye-catching practice.
www.MyShinyMadness.com | www.instagram.com/MyShinyMadnessArtist