Alexis Neal’s work explores the way taoka can act as self-portraits, drawing connections between person, place and material culture. This print shows highly detailed carved surfaces, the luminous green of pounamu, the softness of a feather and the worn surface of whale bone. It reminds us of the ways her tūpuna Māori worked skilfully with resources from the natural world, and the potential of taoka to protect, adorn, identify and connect past with present.

taoka ~ treasured object

pounamu ~ greenstone

tūpuna Māori ~ Māori ancestors

He Kapuka Oneone – A Handful of Soil (from August 2024)