Tauranga’s new city centre sculpture: Artist Peata Larkin and meaning behind sculpture

Peata Larkin and her son Liam with two of her paintings. Her 7m sculpture will be unveiled in Tauranga's Red Square on November 15. Photo / Raymon Sagapolutele

Artist Peata Larkin will celebrate her birthday with the unveiling of her 7m tall sculpture in Tauranga’s city centre.

The $300,000 installation – jointly funded by Tauranga City Council and TECT – is a circular, laser-cut steel sculpture which will soon stand in Red Square with views of Tauranga Moana.

The 4m-wide piece, orientated in line with the rising sun, is an open design which encourages people to walk through and around it. Its shadow will cast patterns that change with the hour.

The sculpture – inspired by Māori imagery, experience, a connection to mana whenua and the area’s history – will be revealed at dawn on November 15.

“My mahi is deeply rooted in te ao Māori and it’s been a way for me to heal,” Larkin said.

“I grew up not knowing anything about my Māori heritage, my mahi toi [craft] has been healing but also a learning process.”

Larkin (Ngāti Whakaue, Ngāti Tūwharetoa) is also in for a birthday surprise.

Mana whenua have gifted the name of the piece, which will be announced at the unveiling.

A render of the 7m tall sculpture that will stand in Tauranga's Red Square.

Growing up in Rotorua, Larkin said her family would often do day trips to Tauranga, so she had special memories of the rohe.

The 50-year-old wanted her sculpture to represent the area as well.

The open circular design symbolises the spring that used to run down what is now Spring St into the harbour.

The base of the structure is Corten steel which will rust and change over time.

It is solid and represents a tree stump that anchors it to the ground, aligning with the meaning of Tauranga, which is safe anchorage, said Larkin.

Historically some waka would be tied to tree stumps to keep them from floating away, she said.

“I loved that connection of the anchorage, but also the start of the journey, taking that that rope off and hopping in your waka.”

The work has also inspired a series of paintings for the artist.

The laser-cut stainless piece take inspiration from nature and Māori tukutuku panels.

Larkin was chosen out of 28 artists by the Font Public Art Trust which commissioned the public artwork for Red Square.

Font’s Ngāi Tamarāwaho trustee Ngairo Eruera said: “The hapū is excited at the prospect of a modern public art installation that captures the dynamism and diversity of the Tauranga community, while being rooted in its deeper histories and environmental relationships.”

Ngāi Tamarāwaho are mana whenua and the city centre is part of their traditional rohe.

The unveiling will be the culmination of a year’s work for Larkin.

“If I hadn’t been selected, this work would never exist because it was only for the Red Square. It’s not a work that could have been moved or created for anywhere else,” Larkin said.

“It was there or nowhere, so I’m relieved that they selected it.”

The trust was established in 2023 with a focus on nurturing creative spirit in the arts community and inspiring a love of all things creative in younger generations.

An artist's impression of Tauranga civic precinct Te Manawataki o Te Papa. Image / Tauranga City Council

Font co-chair Vanessa Hamm said the trust had a 10-year plan, focused in the city centre.

“This first piece and future artworks will help make Tauranga a more interesting, vibrant, and invigorating place to live and visit.

“We are just a group of keen locals who wanted to see contemporary public art in our city and we’ve been lucky enough to time our run with the major revitalisation taking place in Tauranga’s city centre,” Hamm said in a statement.

Construction of the $306 million civic precinct Te Manawataki o Te Papa is under way, with the library and community hub due to open in 2026.

The civic whare (public meeting house), exhibition gallery and museum will open in 2028.

Former commissioner Anne Tolley said previously: “We’re proud to be supporting this first commission and are looking forward to seeing this and future artwork led by Font adding vibrancy to the city centre over the coming years.”

The unveiling ceremony begins at 5.55am on November 15. The public is invited to attend and will be joined by mana whenua, funders, and some of Tauranga’s newly elected council.

– LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.