PURAPURA WHETUU
STAR DUST
19th Oct-25th Nov
New Paintings By Rua Pick
Preview Thursday 19th Oct @ 6.30 pm
Toko Mata Gallery
82 Lichfield St (1st Floor)
between Colombo & Manchester streets
Christchurch, New Zealand.
www.ruapick.vc.net.nz
Gallery hours: Mon-Fri 11.30am - 5.00pm, Sat 11.30am-2.00pm
Ph: 0252077478
Artist Comment: Rua Pick
Rua Pick’s exhibition is a homage to the Ancient People of Waitaha. These 25 artworks are a tribute to the old Waitaha nga hoanga tuhituhi / Rock drawings, paintings that adorn the limestone caves and shelters throughout the South Island of New Zealand.
Rua’s Tawhito Koropiko / Ancient Homage Series and the Onamata Ueenuku Nga Moemoea / Ancient Rainbow Dreaming Series, were created during 1995 – 1996, as a homage to the Old Ones’ forms, through the combination of texture and colour. This was followed by the Tapu Wairua / Sacred Spirit, the White Series in 1996.
Ten years later in Rua's current Purapura Whetu / Star Dust exhibition, he has utilized wooden fomats inspired from the contours of the rock drawing forms. Looking through these ancient windows, images, scenes and symbols came through to Rua’s minds eye, which he drew then painted within the shapes, a painted journey that Rua has traveled for the past year.
Over the past fourteen years Rua has visited many of the old stone places admiring the beautiful minds of the Nga Kai Tuhituhi / Scribes work. Timeless creations were written on stone so long ago, they still speak to us across time and space, singing of the past, present and future like the bright stars above.
This journey into the world of the Nga Kai Tuhituhi has guided Rua towards a deeper understanding of sky, land and sea. These artworks are a tribute to the Tuuaapapa / Foundation of this sacred land, honouring the tree and its many branches that have grown from those foundations, acknowledging the past to empower the future.