Created during my time studying through Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, this work was inspired by kōrero shared the evening before. The sunrise that followed was rare and memorable—its colours echoing those found within the tukutuku panels of the wharenui.

Painted on-site at the Marae, the piece holds the wairua of that morning: the stillness of the wharenui, early-rising Mau Rākau practitioners greeting the first light, and the harbour slowly coming to life.

The long pier draws the viewer into the scene, guiding the eye toward the surrounding hills and homes, and the gentle rhythm of daily life in this place.

Though the work photographs with a strong green tone, it shifts subtly throughout the day—much like the sunrise that inspired it. It is both a memory and an acknowledgement of place, people, and story.