Exhibitions
Events
On display
Cora-Allan Artist Talk
Cora-Allan, 2021. Photo by Holly Burgess
Cora-Allan Otautahi (Christchurch) from the series While at sea 2023.Whenua, kapia ink, hiapo, brass. Courtesy of the artist
Talk
Past event
Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū
Free
Join artist Cora-Allan for a floortalk in Encountering Aotearoa.
Cora-Allan (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Tumutumu, Niue – Liku, Alofi) reflects on her exhibition, which is inspired by her two-week voyage by sea around Aotearoa, from the bottom of Te Waipounamu to Te Tai Tokerau in the north. Using whenua-pigment, hiapo and other resources from the ngahere, she documented the shapes and views of the whenua of Aotearoa from the perspective of the moana.
Related
Exhibition
Cora-Allan: Encountering Aotearoa
13 April – 25 August 2024
A major body of new work that considers the whenua from the vantage point of the moana.
Commentary
Encountering Aotearoa: Whenua, Place and Practice
I stand staring at a painting of Motupōhue Bluff Hill. Being from the far south myself, its shape is instantly recognisable, its silhouette painted in vibrant colours that mirror the way light reflects on the real Motupōhue. The paint used to create this familiar scene is made from whenua, and includes pukepoto, the rich blue pigment that comes from the land near the hill: my whenua. There’s a resonance between the work and its materials that makes it special, layered with connections that reflect my own identity and experiences, reaffirming memories and a sense of belonging.