Waitirohia

Waitirohia is an extension of Tessa Russell's ongoing exploration into He Whakaputanga me Te Tiriti o Waitangi. This exhibition features a new series of engraved vintage mirrors that are a tribute to a moment—the very first time the artist saw her reflection after receiving her moko kauae. According to Russell, that moment in the mirror “changed everything”. For so long she felt out of place in her own skin, but when she looked into that mirror, she saw someone she recognised but had never met. The engravings on these mirrors, much like the engraving on Russell's skin, represent tūpuna Māori. Inspired by an exhibition of pounamu in which many hei tiki were displayed alongside the label ‘iwi unknown’, each hei tiki here is an ancestor. In Waitirohia, these unknown ancestors have a home. Continuing her interrogation into the hei tiki form, Russell also presents her ongoing project 1835. These polaroids feature images of hei tiki, held in a metal case stamped with the date He Whakaputanga was signed. Attaching chains so that people can wear these artworks, the artist envisions these works leaving the gallery and being worn in an act of resistance.