“The main part of this work comprises a horizontal frieze which reflects the landscape and people of the Wellington region.

“The initial ‘maihi’ passage [on the left-hand side] acknowledges the shaping of the land by two taniwha, Whaitaitai and Ngake, together with the original occupation of the region by Ngati Tara and Ngati Ira. This is followed by a figurative passage that represents the migration of Māori tribal groups from the north to Wellington in the early 1800s.

“The major vertical intersection enclosed by a ‘maihi’ composition heralds the dynamics of change caused by European occupation and contemporary development including the growth of motorways and high-rise buildings. The concluding ‘maihi’ passage [on the right-hand side] references the New Zealand justice system illustrating how different cultures are bound by one common legal system in Aotearoa.”

Source: Wellington High Court, Artworks Catalogue (6-page typed and printed document produced by the High Court)

This work is one of a set of artworks commissioned for the Wellington Te Whanganui-a-Tara High Court in 1992 by an artworks panel consisting of members of the judiciary, the Department of Justice, the Māori community and the Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council.