Lonnie Hutchinson

Comb (black) exemplifies Lonnie Hutchinson’s commitment to Indigenous female perspectives. Using the language of contemporary art to express her Polynesian worldview, this maquette forms the basis for a series of larger sculptures that challenge Western ideals of beauty. The oversized hair adornment is decorated with cut-out birds, a recurring motif in Hutchinson’s practice that references her whakapapa. As the artist explains: “All things are linked through whakapapa, as well as having their individual place in the world. Ultimately, it is whakapapa that connects people to each other, to their ancestors, to the land, to the oceans and the universe.” Hutchinson’s work affirms that unity emerges not from erasing difference but by honouring the connections that bind us.

whakapapa ~ genealogy, lineage, ancestry

(Bird Land: Te Kāhui Manu 15 August 2026 – 8 February 2027)