In this photograph by Shannon Te Ao, a human figure is suspended in motion, their back curved against the soft blue light of the morning. The performer moves before a projected backdrop sourced from the artist’s personal footage. It was filmed in Mōkai, near Taupō, an area that holds significance as one of Te Ao’s family urupā, where many of his whānau are buried. A family story tells of his father’s journey, on foot, from Taupō to Mōkai to sleep beside his grandfather, who is laid to rest there. Today, they rest peacefully next to each other. The title of this work, Pūaotanga o te Ao is a play on words, meaning dawn of the world in te reo Māori and also referencing the artist’s family name. It belongs to a series by Te Ao titled Tīwakawaka, one of many Māori names for the native fantail – a messenger that moves between realms of life and death.

urupā ~ burial ground, cemetery

whānau ~ family, extended family, family group

te reo Māori ~ the Māori language

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