MOANA

Natalie Robertson has a strong connection to the Waiapu River through her Ngāti Porou whakapapa [genealogy].

Her photographs are concerned with the health and restoration of the awa [river]. In these images, we can see flood damage, submerged houses, concrete barricades lined up ... 

You might think of it as a form of poetic documentation of what is going on in the river.

Natalie also has a whakapapa connection to the series of photographs by James McDonald. 

Natalie worked with James McDonald’s granddaughter, Anne Salmond, on a recent book about those early expeditions.

Here, she’s made an artwork of Te Rangi Hīroa’s notebook, which is still held in the Bishop Museum in Hawai‘i, from the 1923 expedition up the Waiapu River. The drawing records in detail how to make a hīnaki. The writing is attributed to Elsdon Best.

Here’s Megan.

MEGAN

I like to imagine these men on their expedition sitting at Waiomatatini, Sir Āpirana Ngata’s homestead: Te Rangi Hīroa watching the weavers and shouting out instructions and measurements, and Elsdon Best racing to note them down, recording those details in his notebook.

MOANA

Finally, let’s look more closely at the sculptures and artworks by Matt Pine – to the left.