Songs for Matariki
by Charlotte Graham
An exhibition response by Anna Doran-Read
“Dedicated to
songs of gratitude,
good thoughts to all things
good thoughts to all things
and peace upon the land.”
In her show Songs for Matariki, Charlotte Graham explores holistic health and
wellbeing in relation to New Zealand’s native birds. The manu (birds) have been
beautifully portrayed by Graham as messengers and nurturers of love and light.
Graham’s large scale paintings in Gallery
Two feature very fashionable birds dressed up to the nines, with faces made up,
wearing high heels and fish net stockings. Te
wa o te Ruru features a ruru emerging onto the canvas from the darkness of
night. More human than bird, the owl who wears a moko on her chin is surrounded
by quirky sayings enclosed in brightly comic speech bubbles: “Colour Your Life
with Song”, “Aroha Mai, Aroha Atu”, while a cat hunts the ruru in the darkness,
with “Rrr!” coming from its mouth. The painting is shadowy, yet the pastel
palette adds a certain playfulness to the scene and Graham’s theme of birds as
nurturers of love and life comes through strongly in this piece. The ruru’s
face illuminates the canvas and the phrases surrounding her glow in the dark.
Curator Ngahiraka Mason describes Graham’s paintings as being “dedicated to
songs of gratitude, good thoughts to all things and peace upon the land.”
Graham’s woodcut prints in Gallery Three also
feature birds as ecological messengers of holistic wellbeing. Many of the birds
portrayed are covered in vibrant pastel raindrops, which is symbolic of renewal
and rejuvenation. Before opening the exhibition, Graham had the galleries and
works blessed and water played a large part in this ceremony. Matariki is a
time for reconnecting using spiritual, practical and cultural means and
Graham’s birds have brought these themes together in a delightfully playful,
yet meaningful way.
Some birds in the Homai te Waiora ki Ahau print series are more political than their
feathered friends. The work Frack Off
protests the current debate over asset sales, with a fantail spouting familiar
phrases such as “Aotearoa is not 4 Sale”. Beneath the bird are the words “When
Tuhoe rights come under attack, stand up. Fight back”. According to Mason, the
works in this series – I think
particularly Frack Off – are part of
a “21st Century rite-of-passage development towards singing the
praises of artists, community, individuals, events and topics that are vital,
relevant and meaningful in our history at this time.”
Songs for Matariki is an uplifting experience, designed by Graham to promote holistic health
and wellbeing and Mason has curated it in a fun and unconventional way. This
exhibition is an inspiring exploration into Matariki, the time for new
beginnings.
