New sculpture in Kuirau Park

PHOTO/SUPPLIED

A new sculpture has been lifted into place at the entrance to Rotorua's Kuirau Park today.

The artwork recognises the natural flora present in the park and is a celebration of the natural surroundings.

It depicts a pohutakawa stamen, the pollen-producing central part of the flower, and was completed by well-known local artist Trevor Nathan whose idea it was to illustrate one of the flowers present in Kuirau Park.

It is at a point of the park where people can do a 360 degree walk around the whole piece and can be clearly seen by passers-by on Ranolf St.

Mr Nathan, who has been sculpting full time since 2003, works primarily with a variety of hard and soft stone and wood.

He is also the artist behind the Te Tui Nui sculpture that sits on the corner of Eruera and Tutanekai Sts.

His work is strongly influenced by his dual New Zealand Maori and European heritage and the impact of those cultures in contemporary New Zealand society.

Creative Portfolio lead Trevor Maxwell said the new sculpture aligned strongly with Rotorua's 2030 goals and priorities by contributing towards the inner city revitalisation as well as profiling our local creative community.

"It is about a city and district that is alive with music, storytelling, performance, galleries, sculpture, street art, theatres, murals and more. We are starting to get quite a reputation for our inner city artwork.

"Trevor (Nathan's) sculpture is a worthy addition to Kuirau Park and to our district," he said.