People and the land endure as inspiration for art.
The landscape in Aotearoa is a source of inspiration for many artists, from early settler paintings of serene and unpopulated landscapes to more recent artworks that reimagine the unique connections between people and the land.
For renowned artist Dame Robin White, her images of people and places are embedded as much in the Baha'i faith, of which White is an adherent, as in her artistic practice.
Both contribute to her acute awareness of everyday experiences and sights.
Her faith has seen her live in different parts of Aotearoa, including Otago Peninsula from 1971-1982.
During this time she produced works that showcase her ability to depict different subject matter with a certain reverence and spirituality.
This includes portraits of friends, such as the poet Sam Hunt, juxtaposed against iconic landmarks, as in the painting Sam Hunt at the Portobello Pub.
The work depicts a seemingly ordinary sighting of Hunt standing against the white wall of the pub, arms akimbo, wearing a singlet, jeans and gumboots.
And yet, there is a slight charm afforded to Hunt as he looks into the same wind that blows his hair back.
White's portraits are often of close family or friends as she once said, ''I couldn't imagine painting anyone I didn't like''.
Sam Hunt at the Portobello speaks to her enduring friendship with Hunt that spans back to 1968 when she first encountered him at a poetry reading at the University of Auckland.
The two have remained friends since and influence each other's practice; she painted him and he wrote poems about her, including a road trip they took to Mangaweka in the 1971 poem A Mangaweka Road Song, which White would later chronicle in the work Mangaweka (1973).
• Sam Hunt at the Portobello Pub is on display in the Dunedin Public Art Gallery's ongoing exhibition Belonging.
