Hand-built board, concrete and copper wall sculpture by Shane Dudley

This stunning piece by Shane has a huge presence - both physically and spiritually. Shane read this story a few years ago, and has been working it in his head since then - so with that we have ‘Tahuna’ :

In 1853 a guy by the name of Nathanael Chalmers hired a Maori Chief (Riko) and his offsider (Kaikoura) to guide him into central Southland. Payment to Riko was a 3 legged iron pot. Chalmers became the first European to set eyes on lake Wakatipu, Hawea and Wanaka. With their building of a flax raft, surviving a terrifying trip through the Cromwell Gorge and then back home, this piece is therefore titled ‘Tahuna’, Queenstown. Maori would only track through Queenstown in summer to get Pounamu. The rusty centre/circle is about the 3 legged iron pot, hence the 3 rivets. The Maori scribing design on the Greenstone designed surface and the rusty centre-piece is about Riko;.at the head Nathanael; and Kaikoura on the sides. The cracks are in ref to glacial movement 1500 years ago creating lake Wakatipu.

120cm diameter x 4.5cm deep