Turumeke Harrington: Tā, Tau

An ongoing provocation, Tā, Tau reflects the artist’s contemplation of her contribution to landscape art. She explores this by gathering dirt from places she has lived, as well as whenua connected to her tīpuna. As she walks the land and rests among tussock-covered hills, she considers landlessness, the housing crisis, and contemporary life. She is not concerned with romanticised scenic paintings but rather with the raw, weighty presence of whenua—felt in her hands and reimagined into the structures she creates.

Tā, Tau is a playful turn of phrase, drawing on the sounds and meanings of tātou/tatau—the te reo Māori words for "we" and "collective." With this title, Turumeke Harrington gestures toward togetherness, inviting us to gather, to shelter, and to be present with the land and each other.