News & Events
An article in Kaipara’s The Weekend Lifestyler magazine (pg14). https://drive.google.com/file/d/1h___sq9v6bBK9mRR-91qgdh4sBJdqmCz/view features the NO LIMITS exhibition at Mangawhai Artists Gallery.
Another busy month beginning with judging alongside Abbey Lyman and Olivia Courtney, the annual Coastal Heritage Art competition for Mahurangi regional schools. Work this year addressed the twin themes of Era of the Steamship and the Mighty Mollusc. https://www.localmatters.co.nz/mahurangi-news/youth-creativity-celebrated/
Karena de Pont (centre) with CHArt Organisers Mary Brake & Kelly Grove-Hills one of the judges for the second year running along with Abbey Lyman & Olivia Courtney.
9th Hibiscus & Bays Art Awards
Karena de Pont was a finalist in the Maori Art Award category which was open to any artist and sponsored by Te Herenga Waka o Orewa. Her work was inspired by the Midnight Oil lyrics from their song ‘Silent Memory’, Watchdog in a Nervous Land speaks to Aotearoa New Zealand’s continuing challenges and negotiations regarding ecological issues and indigenous rights. In this painting the role of kaitiaki is represented by Hei Tiki, at once familiar not only to Māori as tangata whenua but to all New Zealanders, never losing its symbolic potency as an iconic emblem within Aotearoa New Zealand.
Kaitiakitanga has been described as guardianship or protection. The basic meaning of ‘tiaki’ is to guard, but depending on the context in which it is used, it also means to preserve, keep, conserve, nurture, protect and watch over. Therefore, a kaitiaki is a guardian, keeper, preserver, conservator, or protector.
Māori are reasserting their role as Kaitiaki to ensure that land and indigenous plants, animals, birds, and marine life are not destroyed further in the name of ‘progress’, ‘economic development’ and ‘productivity’ which will benefit all New Zealand and New Zealanders in the long-term. Meanwhile, Mother Nature nervously awaits the consequences of mankind’s procrastination.
It is always wonderful to see one's artworks in print. Karena de Pont was one of the featured artists in the February 2023 edition of JUNCTION MAGAZINE in conjunction with the Mahurangi Artist Studio Trail.
https://www.junctionmag.co.nz/read-online
Mahurangi West artists from Venues 1-3 who are opening their studios for the
2023 Mahurangi Artist Studio Trail - Cherrie James, Talia Russell, Karena de Pont & Ann Cook.
PREDATOR FREE NEW ZEALAND 2050 at Estuary Arts Centre in Orewa from 6th September through to 2nd October 2022. Two of my works are in this group show (TIRITIRI MATANGI and ACT NOW). You can catch a glimpse of TIRITIRI MATANGI in this gallery photo on the right. This is the first time that I have created work for a themed exhibition. This exhibition will move to the Auckland Botanical Gardens later in October 2022.
February 2022 Mahurangi Artist Studio Trail
From Left: Kim Ingram, Yvonne Gray, Cherrie James, Donna Harrison, Talia Russell & Karena de Pont
to my home studio
Describe your image
From Left: Kim Ingram, Yvonne Gray, Cherrie James, Donna Harrison, Talia Russell & Karena de Pont
Scroll through some of the images taken at my studio during the February 2022 Mahurangi Artist Studio Trail.
NOW ON IN 2022 !!!
WAITANGI & FOLLOWING WEEKEND
5-7 February & 12-13 February 2022
It is always wonderful to see one's artworks in print. Karena de Pont was one of the featured artists in the October 2021 edition of JUNCTION MAGAZINE in conjunction with the Mahurangi Artist Studio Trail.
https://issuu.com/junctionmag/docs/junction_october_21/44