Whakapau taniwha – Art and the Environment

To see each photo in larger size click the small images above

The contemporary artworks in the exhibition are the result of relationships formed between the communities of kohukohu, Rāwene and Te Rōpū Ratonga Māori team from Auckland City Libraries. The people Te Rōpū Ratonga Māori met responded enthusiastically to the exhibition’s three themes. The works on display celebrate the creative strength of Hokianga.

The environment of the Hokianga, enchanting and sacred sites, as well as many features of the natural world are captured in a wide range of mediums. The artists invite reflection on a place that has many parts to its history, land and people including a sense of Kaitiakitanga or guardianship that they feel for the place.

In recognition of the enduring beauty that is Hokianga the artists build on local materials offered by nature. Beverly Cox’s painting Footprints in the Fern pays tribute to the exquisite delicate raurenga. Her diptych shows the beauty of the fern as its kidney-shaped leaves open and close.

Hokianga is a source of inspiration, bringing people together across generations and culture.

Ngahiraka Mason