Erika Holden will be exhibiting her installation: Sticks (Rakau = wood, branch, stick,) at Kelmarna Gardens during Artweek.
Erika has collected the driftwood sticks from a remote beach, outside of Ruatoria up on the EAST Coast. They reflect her personal journey, since she lived in a very remote place under Mt Hikurangi which was the first place to see the sun…
“I’m very particular about what I use for my work and the
sticks have come from below that mountain and onto a remote beach: my happy place…”
“They have travelled a long distance, tumbled and toiled and stressed through the journey, to arrive finally on the coast at the outlet of the WAIAPU river.
“I have collected the sticks and painted them, in stripes, depicting their layers of journeying (Hikoi), ie life emotions etc, and relating to the human condition. There are 20 in this display. These words accompany each RAKAU.”
NGA RAKAU WAIAPU
RAKAU HIKOI ( STICKS )
TOILED AND TUMBLED
ROUGHED AND SMOOTHED ON JOURNEY
MATA, TAPUAEROA,
WAIAPU, COAST.
DISCOVERED BY HUNTRESS THEIR LAYERS ACKNOWLEDGED.
UNDERCOAT, STRIPES.
SIGNED WITH SYMBOL,
NO TRIMMING OR FIX.
IS AS IS.
TRAVEL ON.
Erika Holden 2020
