The Faithful Angel

City Gallery Wellington
Civic Square 101 Wakefield St PO Box 2199 Wellington NEW ZEALAND
Press Release
Contact: Anne Irving (04) 801-3959 or fax (04) 801-3950 email: anne.irving@wcc.govt.nz

Angel descends on Michael Hirschfeld Gallery The Story of Anahera Te Pono: The Faithful Angel - A post-colonial fantasy 1 September - 8 October 2000 Angels are out in force in a new exhibition of work by Hariata Ropata Tangahoe, which sees the Michael Hirschfeld Gallery transformed into a shrine-like space complete with altar and flowers.

Re-inventing the Christian tradition of the Stations of the Cross, the Kapiti artist has made fourteen sandstone carvings showing the spiritual journey of "a brown angel named Anahera Te Pono who had been trapped for almost all of her life by the Institution".

"The myths I use in my painting come from within, but they also relate to Maori mythology and the mythologies of other cultures. ... .I can't get away from these visionary ideas, and don't ever want to," says Ropata Tangahoe, who describes her heritage as Ngati Toa, Ngati Raukawa, Te Atiawa, Te Arawa, Tuwharetoa, Italian, French, Celtic and Pakeha. The works, made from sandstone retrieved from the old Auckland Town Hall, were made as part of her Master of Fine Arts (Honours) at Elam School of Fine Arts, Auckland University in 1998, and exhibited at One Eye Gallery, Paekakariki earlier this year. Ropata Tangahoe's painting featured in Past Life, a show of visionary, folk and naïve art held recently at the Michael Hirschfeld Gallery. Her painting Expulsion from Paradise is included in Parihaka - The Art of Passive Resistance. She is engaged in iwi and hapu development through studying at Te Wananga o Raukawa, Otaki, and working at her marae, Whakarongotai.

The Story of Anahera Te Pono is part of the exhibitions programme 360 - a full perspective on Wellington Art, sponsored by Designworks. ENDS

Anne Irving Publicist T: 04 801 3959 F: 04 801 3950 Parihaka - The Art of Passive Resistance 26 August - 19 January 2001 Admission Free Check out: http://www.parihaka.city-gallery.org.nz

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