Eileen Mayo
England / Australia / Aotearoa New Zealand, b.1906, d.1994
Kōtuku / White Heron
- 1976
- Gouache and coloured pencil
- Purchased, 2005
- 94 x 120mm
- 2005/016
Location: Touring Gallery C
Tags: animals, birds (animals), egg, nests (animal architecture), white (color)
Three Eileen Mayo bird paintings were exhibited together for the exhibtion 'Bird Land: Te Kāhui Manu, with this label:
Kōtuku (white heron), matuku moana (reef heron) and kōtuku ngutupapa (royal spoonbill) are wetland birds found across the wider Indo-Pacific, yet they form part of Aotearoa New Zealand’s distinctive coastal and estuarine birdlife.The matuku moana is a long-established native presence in Aotearoa, part of a widespread coastal species across the region. The kōtuku is a naturally occurring but locally rare breeder, with a small and highly restricted population centred in Ōkārito on Te Tai Poutini, the West Coast. The kōtuku ngutupapa is a more recent arrival, first recorded in the 1860s and now expanding across suitable wetlands.
(Bird Land: Te Kāhui Manu 15 August 2026 – 8 February 2027)
Exhibition History
White on White (23 November 2008 - 26 October 2009
The kotuku lives in other parts of the world (like Asia and the Pacific), but is very rare in New Zealand, with just one permanent population of 100 to 120 birds found near Okarito in South Westland.
In the past, their beautiful long feathers were worn as head-ornaments by important Maori leaders. Sometimes they would keep a bird in a special cage, so that when a new feather grew, someone was waiting and ready to pull it out!
This painting was one of Eileen Mayo’s original designs for a set of cards (Rare and Endangered Birds of New Zealand) collected from packets of Gregg’s jelly.
Ape To Zip: Adventures in Alphabet Art, 13 May 2005 – 8 October 2006
In the exhibition Ape to Zip (13 May 2005 - 8 October 2006), this work was one of five used for the letter K and was displayed with the following label:
These paintings were made for a set of Gregg's Jelly cards, ‘Rare and Endangered Birds of New Zealand'. 35 cards were collected in an album, encouraging young New Zealanders to appreciate our precious bird life.
How many of these birds' names did you already know? Two of them also live on $1 and $2 coins!
Related
Notes
Eileen Mayo
It's 107 years since this multi-talented artist, described by art historian Kenneth Clark as 'outstandingly good', was born in Norwich, England.