As I travelled through Haast Pass, Te Waipounamu, I found myself imagining an earlier version of this land—before deforestation, before it became dry and heavily used. A landscape shaped by ice, water, and time, alive with the presence of moa, kōtuku, and the Haast eagle.

This piece contrasts that imagined past with what exists today, reflecting on both loss and resilience within the environment. Hidden throughout the work are small native creatures—subtle details that speak to the richness and diversity of life that once thrived here.

The addition of neon transforms the piece in low light, revealing another layer of the landscape and shifting the way it is experienced. It’s a work that changes with its environment, inviting closer observation and a slower way of seeing.