Otuihau Whangārei Falls home to new sculpture Equilibrium

Dave Snowden and Tash Nikora watch on as kaumātua Tu Panapa blesses their sculpture Equilibrium at Otuihau Whangārei Falls. Photo / Tania Whyte

Life is all about balance and the iconic Otuihau Whangārei Falls has become even more harmonious with a new sculpture called Equilibrium erected.

The falls' carpark has become the new home for the sculpture, which is a symbol of unity and wholeness for both our community and our natural environment. The sculpture was erected by Creative Northland last week.

Equilibrium, carved by David Snowden and Tash Nikora who were recipients of the 2020 Whangārei Sculpture Symposium Te Ahi Ko Mau - a legacy scholarship developed in the memory of master carver Te Kuiti Stewart.

Both artists received the Whangārei District Council Supreme Award and the Creative Northland People's Choice Award for the work.

''This pōria form carries the symbol of unity and wholeness for both our community and our natural environment, that we are one and the same. This pōria expresses the issues of birdlife and the regeneration of native flora,'' Snowden said.

''This communicates the important roles that birds and our people have on our unique eco systems here in Tai Tokerau. The seasons, tides, moon cycles, and everything in nature calls for balance.''

For Nikora, Equilibrium speaks of the fine balance between nature and the human race.

''Without nature we, as a people, will not survive. For us to survive, we need to live, once again, in harmony and in humility with nature," she said.

Creative Northland's general manager, Hinurewa te Hau said the sculpture unveiling was perfect timing with Matariki rising for the piece to be unveiled and for the reflection to take place around remembering tohunga (Te Kuiti Stewart) and how important it is to share knowledge and nurture those coming through.

Kaumātua Tu Panapa and general manager of Creative Northland Hinurewa te Hau at the unveiling of the Equilibrium sculpture at Otuihau Whangārei Falls. Photo / Tania Whyte

Tu Panapa, the kaumātua for the unveiling, summed up the sculpture's presence with this quote, "Look to the rock from which you were cut and to the quarry from which you were hewn; Isaiah 51:1".

Whangārei Sculpture Symposium was held at the Hihiaua Cultural Centre in mid-March, a 10-day event with 18 artists working in limestone and basalt to create artworks based on the theme of Regeneration: Renew, Restore and Reclaim.

Each artist created a form that related to the theme, sharing their story, developing their narrative that focused on aspects of the natural environment and the preservation of our natural resources; water, land, air and coast. Each work of art interpreting a local influence celebrating the artist's connection with nature and how the aesthetics of art form can inform our landscapes.

The Sculpture Symposium is a biennial event, with the next one in March 2022.