The latest exhibition of East Otago artists’ work at the Ōtepoti Dunedin Community Gallery celebrated the wonder and quiet lives of Aotearoa’s natural world. 

“Little Lives” was a collaborative exhibition by Joanne Craig and Zenobia Southcombe observing the beauty and significance of the small, often overlooked lives that share Aotearoa’s landscapes.

Southcombe said they had a good turnout and they were pleased with community responses to their work. 

“It’s been cool having many of our visitors sharing their own stories with us, it’s felt more like a community hub than an art gallery, and it’s touching that our exhibition could facilitate this,” she said. 

Waitati-based artist Craig said “Little Lives” “invites visitors to slow down, look more closely, and consider the richness of the natural world that surrounds us”.

“The exhibition brings together a diverse range of works exploring Aotearoa’s native birds and other wildlife, creating an immersive experience that moves between intimate observation and larger-than-life encounters,” she said.

Her artworks include six large-scale acrylic paintings of native birds, accompanied by selected earlier works and archival fine art prints.

Craig’s work, inspired by nature and birdlife, celebrates the “presence, dignity and individuality of Aotearoa’s taonga species”.

“In my work I celebrate this beauty through portraits of birds and people,” she said.

“At the deeper level I explore themes of connection and belonging.”

Palmerston-based artist Southcombe’s work explores native birds and “critters” in paintings, photography and cyanotype works.

Also featured was a moving-image work accompanied by an original musical composition by her husband, created using recordings of bird sounds heard at Tavora Reserve, where the couple often walk. 

Together, these works reveal the beauty, detail and diversity found within lives that are often unnoticed.

“While rooted in the natural world, “Little Lives” also reflects on what we value in our own lives.

“In a society that often celebrates the extraordinary or highly visible, the exhibition offers a gentle reminder that worth is not determined by size, status or recognition,” Craig said. 

She said the works resonated with the te ao Māori understanding that every living being carried its own mauri, and from recognising this inherent worth there grows a deep sense of care, respect and responsibility.

“By encouraging us to notice and value what is often overlooked, ‘Little Lives’ speaks to our interconnectedness with the natural world and the importance of nurturing our relationships with all living things.”

In keeping with the exhibition’s celebration of the inherent worth of every life, a portion of proceeds from artwork sales will be donated to Hagar International, in support of survivors of modern slavery and human trafficking.

“Little Lives” ran at the Ōtepoti Dunedin Community Gallery until last Wednesday,  and is followed by the Otago Potters Group annual exhibition from Monday.