Moana Ngā Manu

The sea of birds I painted gathering on the water’s surface—shows a brown-feathered petrel surrounded by mollymawks with a single Southern Wanderer Albatross. This painting reflects my korero with Kaumatua Philip Smith, out at sea. His knowledge of pelagic birds is profound; we spoke about migration and breeding patterns, behaviour, and their cultural significance. Philip is concerned at the critical decline in numbers each season. With this painting I am asking: ‘What if this is the last picture frame of these birds—captured in the now, but gone tomorrow.