Auckland artist Kate Parker has earned the People’s Choice Prize at this year’s Estuary Art and Ecology Awards.
The awards competition and its associated exhibition are staged annually at Uxbridge Arts and Culture in Howick.
Parker’s “enchanting” work, entitled Te Whakahoki – The Return, depicts the view looking toward Rangitoto Island, where the Tāmaki Estuary feeds into the Hauraki Gulf.
Her papercut lightbox creation imagines a future where native coastal birdlife are plentiful and children happily explore what lives along the shore.
A standout in this year’s exhibition, Parker’s work captured the hearts and imagination of exhibition visitors.
Made entirely out of paper, Te Whakahoki features many meticulously hand-drawn and cut paper cutouts of birds such as the tuturuatu, kuaka and even a little kiwi for those careful enough to spot them.
Sponsored by the Rice Family Partnership with a generous $1000 prize, the People’s Choice award is a traditional part of the awards, allowing exhibition visitors an opportunity to have their say on the best work in the show.
When meeting Parker at the Malcom Smith Gallery, People’s Choice sponsor Wally Rice and partner Marilyn Bakker were impressed by the artist’s ability to capture what goes on along the shore.
They said they shared their love of bird watching from their home along the Tāmaki Estuary and recognised many of the creatures within Parker’s work.
With the 18th edition of the estuary awards at a close, Parker completes this year’s lineup of winners alongside Matt Dowman, Cathy Carter, Alysn Midgelow-Marsden, Rowan Holt and Ainsley O’Connell.
The Estuary Art and Ecology Awards are the only contemporary art prize in New Zealand with ecology at its core.
Artists are invited to research and respond to the Tāmaki Estuary in their own unique ways, to underscore the ecological value of this vital waterway and encourage action against its pollution.
With a total prize pool of $9800, the winning artworks are intelligent and innovative responses to ecology in the field of contemporary art, cultivating local talents and bringing awareness to our taonga.
The awards are supported by the Howick Local Board with the support of the Tāmaki Estuary Environmental Forum, the Rice Family Partnership and Gordon Harris Art Supplies.
