Chamber Gallery, Rangiora Library, 21 September – 30 October 2025

The sculptural works began as shields, a flimsy leaf defence against my growing awareness of vulnerability. These shields are symbolic protection from the unknowns arriving out of nowhere from the sky, the words and bombs that humans throw at other humans and the earth. The use of plant material – harakeke – as shelter, calls upon the nurturing earth, and admits a form of passivity towards aggression that through time reveals instead a profound, enduring strength. The shields are life against death, creativity against destruction.

In the printmaking I explore these themes further.

As the shields dried, they changed. The greens and oranges went through browns and reds and then settled into their current range of varied light browns. The weave parted, shrinking and toughening. They became more like filters, allowing light to pass through, casting complex shadows. And as they opened up, they allowed views through.

What began as defence was gradually replaced by seeing. They offered a way of seeing past and through the protective layer. Partly obscuring but still providing cover, the shields no longer hid from or rejected that view. What began as defence was gradually replaced by seeing, with light passing back and forth through a filter, like an understanding between people. The objects themselves responded to the living symbolism they contain, offering new more complex interpretations.

Windows in Gaza Reflecting the Sky

Encounter III