Govett-Brewster Art Gallery/Stuff
Sculptor and installation artist Brett Graham says his sculptures are designed to have a physical and emotional impact on the viewer. It was there he spent time researching the history of the relationship between Taranaki and Tainui Māori, and a pact of solidarity, known as Te Kīwai o te Kete which was forged during the New Zealand land wars. Raised in the Waikato, he said there were constant reminders of how land had been confiscated from Māori, something he believed Taranaki tangata whenua could also relate closely with. “You just scratch the surface and you realise that the landscape is full of reminders of that, specifically if you re Māori,” Graham said.