The exhibition, entitled He Wai Apakura — Te Ara Pounamu, The River’s Lament — A Pathway of Treasure, was displayed last week at the Eastern Southland Gallery.
It is the culmination of three years of work by Christchurch artist Jo Ogier depicting flora and fauna of the Mataura valley from a pre-European time.
On display were 26 paintings, over 30 clay sculptures and stones collected from the rivers depicted adorning the floor of the gallery.
Mrs Ogier said she wanted to show what the first people to explore the area would have seen.
"I really wanted to take a look at what would have been there, the journey the early travellers would have taken," she said.
The paintings were displayed in a semi-circle, cataloguing the different types of animals and plants from the time. Mrs Ogier said she consulted with numerous specialists and knowledgeable people to try to get a good idea of the ecology of the area.
"There’s a whole list of people on the acknowledgements of people who were so welcoming and open to help me work out what would have been there.
"It was very much a collaborative approach to the project," she said.
Mrs Ogier said drawing attention to the distinct ecology of the region was important.
"It’s really easy to ignore something you don’t know is there, it’s a lot easier to pollute.
"There’s things like didymo, nutrient run-off, other discharges into the river which make it really hard for these species to complete their life-cycle," she said.
Mrs Ogier said she did not get a chance to see the full display due to the limited space in her studio, and was happy with how it turned out.
"I really could only see them in groups of six, so it’s been really neat. And the river stones, too, that’s great," she said.
Curator Jim Geddes said it was an amazing chance to look back at a snapshot in history though art.
"... We’re realising the rich history the river and valley has, the species that were abundant here, and are still here," he said.
Mr Geddes said the public had responded very well to the displayed art.
"It’s been great. The floor talk and the opening were incredibly well attended.
"People have just been coming in," he said.
