material: glass, paper, flaxpaper, film
size: 30 x 30 x 7 cm
year: 2004
This work is dedicated to the women of New Zealand. The title “Wahine” means “woman” in the language of the Māori, the indigenous people of New Zealand, and refers to female strength, responsibility, and care.
The work uses a quote from the short story Hooks and Feelers by Keri Hulme: “I will get the paua,” she says, and begins stripping off her jeans. “You get the cress,” she says to him. The story deals with the aftermath of an accident in which her son Jason loses a hand, as well as the challenge of the family adapting to his new reality.
By referring to Hulme’s text, the work links individual experience with collective memory and focuses on female agency: the natural assumption of responsibility, the ability to move on despite loss, and the quiet strength that becomes visible in everyday life.
Fotocredit: Tina King