Original artwork by Sarah Dutt
Meet our artists: Artist Resume
WHERE I BELONG, TOKU TUURANGAWAEWAE, SWADESH HAI MERA स्वदेश है मेरा // Acrylic, hand made gouache on board // 2022 // Image courtesy of the artist // Image taken at Te Taunga Community Hub, Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira
This work converges aspects of the artists creative journey. It represents a sense of place and belonging culturally, physically, and spiritually, which evolves from the artist’s ongoing enquiry of how both symbol and place communicate meaning.
The motifs derive from cultural practice associated with the artist's Indian and Māori cultures. These are intermingled with images of her family’s journey to Fiji. For example, the moko kauae design used in the rangoli, belonged to the artist’s great grand father’s sister, Te Ata Po. The kowhaiwhai is from her wharenui. The S.S. Chenab II and Leonidas are carefully rendered to present the ships her family and many others took from India and Trinidad to Fiji as indentured workers. Sarah also incorporates the basic technology used in the sugar cane industry and motifs from the national flags of Fiji and Trinidad throughout.
The artist has incorporated geometric and organic mehndi patterns. The landscape within the composition is Tōrere Bay where her Ngai Tai iwi have lived since her ancestor Tōrerenuiarua disembarked from the Tainui waka in c.1200. The amo is from the wharenui that bares her name.
Need help:
Art Consultant - available anytime
consult@mccarthygallery.com.au
+61 2 8358 2471
Where I belong, Toku Tuurangawaewae, Swedesh Hai Mera
Framed
Original screen prints on archival Fabriano 50% cotton paper
Limited edition of 60
900 x 900 mm