Takapu  $14,750 SOLD

Kereru  $14,750 SOLD

Please enquire, further available on commission. 

'Ko te mana whakahaere Māori mō ngā mea Māori' 

‘Māori control of Māori things’ 

What seems at first to be a simple concept is more complex than it initially appears, and this work offers a snapshot of that conversation. The Kererū resides in the ngāhere, the Tākapu (Gannet) on the coast. Each has whakapapa and its own mana, yet their stories are intertwined - with points of connection and difference.  These two vessels, which echo the form of Egyptian canopic jars, operate as two sentries, keeping watch across whenua and moana. 

The title 'He Manu ki Uta, He Manu ki Tai' (A Bird Inland, a Bird at Sea) is a tweak on the two kiwaha (idioms): 'he raru ki uta' meaning a smaller problem and 'he raru ki tai' meaning a difficult problem. In thinking about the issues, we face, whether big or small, te taiao and kōrero tuku iho can help us navigate through.