Sealed in a bell jar

Areta Wilkinson's Poi Girl series features silhouettes of the artist - notionally brooches - presented in bell jars. Poi Girl VIII (pictured above) sees Areta in profile tending a campfire. The metaphor of the campfire has appeared in a number of works, and her latest exhibition Waka Huia features the one pictured below as a brooch.

Called Areta's ahi kaa this work references the Maori metaphor of ahi kaa or keeping the home fires burning, the cultural fires fed, and the ancestral lands cared for.

Poi Girl VIII see Areta's literally tending the ahi kaa - maintaining and acknowledging her Ngai Tahu ancestry, but also her artistic heritage as a jeweller.

"I am telling you the things of old and smoking while I talk"

Included in Waka Huia is this cameo brooch work that features the head of Teone Taare Tikao (1850-1927), Areta Wilkinson's grandmother's granfather.

Around 1920 Herries Beattie interviewed Tikao about local knowledge and published the stories in "Tikao Talks: Treasures from the ancient world of the Maori" in 1939. From this we know that Tikao was taught that the world is round like a plate - flat and thick, and that the ancient songs say that the world is circular rimmed by sand, and outside and beyond this is space.

Areta explains "Poua Tikao may have understood the world as flat but by no means two dimensional - it was flat and thick and full. His world understood walking and talking flora and fauna, red sky portents, recited ancient whakapapa and karakia, interpreted dreams, understood seasons and preparations for survival, and politically advocated for Maori rangatiratanga.

He worked with poeople like Temaiharoa to prepare the world for modern Moari so his great great grandchildren could dwell in peace and security. How can I put my Poua's silhouette on a plate you ask? You may see a plate but I see a world."