“Paemanu: Kārakaraka Toi” began in 2023 with a days-long hīkoi along the Waitaki River to Aoraki/Mount Cook. Taking the creative outcomes of this hīkoi to the 11th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art in Meanjin (Brisbane), Paemanu found an echo of the Waitaki River in the Maiwar (Brisbane River).
There, they engaged with the Turrbal and Yuggera peoples of the region. Presenting a journey of connection, exchange and return to Te Waipounamu, “Kārakaraka Toi” is now also about homecoming.
Karaka (2024) is situated at the beginning of the exhibition, welcoming visitors into the gallery space. Made by women, it was first shown as a call to the Meanjin peoples and places. The pieces recall rākau kōrero (talking sticks) and include a range of media.
Ana Whakairo (2024) is a large ensemble of drawings that connect to ana whakairo (rock drawings) located along the Waitaki River. It is a collective work by Paemanu that was installed in Meanjin to mark their visit and acknowledge the Turrbal and Yuggera peoples.
Tīrewa (2024) refers to the significance of the Waitaki River and as a traditional pathway and source of food. The structure resembles a customary food-drying frame and includes hand-made prints by Paemanu artists in collaboration with Indigenous artists in Meanjin Brisbane, reflecting their connections to the Maiwar River.
Eleven artists from the Waitaki region were invited to “phone a friend” or artist collaborator, for a group exhibition that celebrates creative practice and community.
The brief from the Forrester Gallery encouraged an approach to collectivism and exchange that was flexible and negotiable. The artists were able to approach artistic dialogue that suited their individual ways of working. The outcome of the premise is a diverse and vibrant show.
Some of the exhibiting pairs include shared or individual statements about their contributions, acknowledging each other or outlining thematic and artistic concerns. Kim Pieters and Miranda Parkes present their respective approaches to the spectrum of abstraction.
Ingrid Cole and Jolene McCarten speak of whimsy and friendship through their work. Others, like Paula Collier and Isabella Loudon, present thematically connected works with an appreciation for architectural traces of presence.
Sometimes, works from one duo will speak to other groupings across the space. Peter Cleverley, exhibiting with painter Christopher John Wright, writes about the subject matter, conditions and denotations of his own work Pixie Splash (2025). Wright, in turn, has exhibited a portrait suite featuring Donna Demente. In the same gallery, Demente and photographer Maclean Barker present poignant recent works made through parallel seasons of contemplation and reflection.
The Visible Collection Galleries are two renovated collection stores that showcase works from the Forrester Gallery’s permanent collection. Displayed on storage stacks and selected by gallery staff, the intention of these spaces is to provide a greater opportunity of public engagement with the collection outside of regular exhibition programming.
One gallery space presents an array of historical works from the late 19th and early 20th century. A painting of Naseby by William Reed (1908-96) sits next to a small landscape by Petrus van der Velden (1837-1913) featuring a characteristically stormy horizon line. A small Otira Gorge by Edward Gifford (1819-94) and portraits by May Buick (1882-1963) are also prominent works.
The larger of the two display rooms includes many recent works from the last several decades. Local artists like Mary Horn and John Mitchell, for example, are shown among more familiar names like Colin McCahon, Ralph Hotere, Robin White and Doris Lusk.
To assist visitors are brief catalogue lists with work titles, artists’ names and small thumbnail images that can be used to identify the works. Altogether, the visible collection exhibitions have a scale and variety that inspires the viewer to make their own discoveries and connections.
By Joanna Osborne
