Doorway to Night

Doorway to Night

Doorway to Night is a reimagining of the 1840s home of Pōtatau Te Wherowhero, who lived overlooking Onehunga Beach and the Manukau Harbour.

"Structured from tī kōuka (cabbage trees), whose leaves form elements of a whare and evoke associations with urupā, endurance, and remembrance, the installation also serves as a dedication and poroporoaki. Created in the wake of the deaths of the artist's parents and senior Māori artists who shaped his practice, including Selwyn Muru, the project binds history and legacy in a space that is at once memorial and offering."

Doorway to Night 2026
island kauri, lacquer and wax
mixed media installation
variable, approximately 4m x 14.5m x 5.5m overall

read essay by Ngāhuia Te Awekōtuku about the Doorway to Night exhibition