Ata Wairere

Kentaro Yamada Vertical No. 1 2008. Mixed media. Collection of Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū 2009

Lonnie Hutchinson sista7 2003. Black building paper. Collection of Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū 2003

This exhibition is now closed

Contemporary works that create subtle openings for connection and contemplation.

The Māori words ata and wairere combine to suggest a reflection glimpsed in a gently moving body of water. This exhibition unites three artists, Chris Heaphy, Lonnie Hutchinson and Kentaro Yamada, whose works draw on elemental forms from the natural world to create openings for contemplation and connection.

Date:
18 December 2015 – 21 August 2016
Curator:
Felicity Milburn
Exhibition number:
983
Contemporary Art Partner

Collection works in this exhibition

3 items

Vertical No. 1

Kentaro Yamada

Untitled (Bleu)

Chris Heaphy

Sista7

Lonnie Hutchinson

Related reading: Ata wairere, exhibition-983, EY

Notes

Waterworks

The waters that infiltrate Hannah and Aaron Beehre's new installation at our NG space are mysterious and poetic, owing more to mythmaking than reality.

Collection

Kentaro Yamada Vertical No. 1

Vertical No. 1 is reminiscent of a light feature on a mast but its cascading sequence of light also recalls a drop of water.

Collection

Chris Heaphy Untitled (Bleu)

This DVD is one of an edition of five. The projection is of water (Lake Taupo, near the mouth of the Hinemaia River) It has been turned onto its side to create an enigmatic image suggesting ghostly figures. The soundtrack is a mixture of Gregorian chanting and sacred music by the 16th century Italian composer Claudio Monteverdi.

Collection

Lonnie Hutchinson Sista7

From her studio window in the port town of Ōhinehou / Lyttelton, Lonnie Hutchinson could see the volcanic range commonly known as the Seven Sisters running along the back of Ōhinetahi / Governors Bay. A pivotal work in the artist’s career, Sista7 celebrates this evening vista and the sense of belonging she felt nestled in the rohe (territory) of Ngāti Wheke, the hapū (subtribe) based at nearby Rāpaki. The spiritual and cultural values of Hutchinson’s dual Samoan and Ngāi Tahu heritage are firmly embedded in her practice. Hand-cut in black builder’s paper, positive and negative elements recall the fundamentals of Polynesian and Māori design. The rhythm of folds and the elegant shadows cast by the motifs inspire a natural sense of wonder.

(Te Wheke, 2020)