Kowhai Dreaming
SPONSORED BY
This impressive sculpture by Chris Moore provides an iconic photo opportunity with a river backdrop, together with a nod to the 40,000+ native trees planted along the full 65km of the Te Awa River Ride.
It’s no coincidence the location is within a stone’s throw of the Kowhai-loving tui artwork. The Sophora, or Kowhai, is a native tree to New Zealand and its vibrant yellow flower is often regarded as New Zealand’s national flower. The bark of the tree has had medicinal use for Māori for a long time.
About The Artist
Chris Moore is a visual artist with over 20 years of experience and an expansive repertoire of technical skills to show for it, including in design, oil painting & portraiture and blacksmithing & bronze casting.
His studies in the traditional methods of the latter two took him to Europe for several years, after which he returned to New Zealand and set up a studio space in Oratia, West Auckland. Bringing the metals to life via an intensive process of forging, heating and shaping motivate Moore’s work, with which he aims to bring an unexpected lightness and texture to the material.
He has exhibited extensively throughout New Zealand and has a number of large scale public works in Auckland as well as many in private collections.
Sculpture Development
From the initial concept, to installation – take a look at the making of Kowhai Dreaming.
Concepts
Initial concept drawings for Kowhai Dreaming
Construction begins
Construction of Kowhai Dreaming gets underway
Progress
The curving forms of the sculpture are developed
Sculpture takes shape
The columns evolved into arching trunks, ready for the details to be added
Leaves
The production of the Kowahi leaves begins
Leaves are joined
The leaves are joined together to create unified organic shapes
Construction is completed
The elements of Kowhai Dreaming come together in the workshop
On site
Kowhai Dreaming is brought to site
Sculpture positioned
Kowhai Dreaming is carefully positioned in it’s final location
Complete
Kowhai Dreaming finds its home in the landscape
Visit The Sculpture
Kowhai Dreaming is located on the Velodrome to Cambridge section of the Te Awa River Ride.
This impressive sculpture by Chris Moore provides an iconic photo opportunity with a river backdrop, together with a nod to the 40,000+ native trees planted along the full 65km of the Te Awa River Ride.
It’s no coincidence the location is within a stone’s throw of the Kowhai-loving tui artwork. The Sophora, or Kowhai, is a native tree to New Zealand and its vibrant yellow flower is often regarded as New Zealand’s national flower. The bark of the tree has had medicinal use for Māori for a long time.
The banks of the Waikato were once awash with yellow and gold from the kowhai flowers that bloom in early spring. Native tui were also regularly found in these trees, as they feed from the nectar. The September flowering of the kowhai represents the start of good crops and good weather and is also the breeding season for tui.
Along with the kowhai on the river, the Waikato region once had a landscape of thick native forests and expansive wetlands. Remnants of this landscape can be seen along the Waikato River, however most of the vegetation and birds that exist in this area now are exotic/introduced species.
As well as a great photo stop, the “Kowhai Dreaming” sculpture represents the 40,000+ native trees that have been planted along the banks of the Waikato river throughout the Te Awa project.