What the Land Remembers: A Journey to the National Contemporary Art Awards

This year, something truly special happened. I submitted one of my most heartfelt pieces to the 2025 National Contemporary Art Awards — and it was chosen as a finalist. I still feel a spark of joy every time I say that aloud. Out of over 480 entries across Aotearoa, my work was selected in a blind judging process by Nigel Borell — one of New Zealand’s most respected curators. That part alone has become one of the proudest milestones in my creative journey so far.

“I actually thought that the entry I had submitted was among my best work. I was really proud of it — so I’m really glad it got the technical approval.”

This painting wasn’t created on a whim. It came from somewhere deep — born from a poem I’d written earlier in the year, reflecting on the voice of Mother Nature and her grief, her strength, her endurance. That poem opened a portal to something richer and more expressive in me — and it poured out through colour, form, and movement.

The piece I entered is part of a wider body of work I’ve been developing since then. Looking back, I can see how each painting might correspond to a different stanza or image from that original poem. I’ve been thinking about calling the whole series What the Land Remembers — a reflection of how our whenua holds stories, sorrow, memory, and resilience.

“This painting holds deep meaning. A lot of thought went into it — into the land, and all of its things.”

After years of holding back creatively — especially during the years I was pouring all my energy into work and raising children  — I made a commitment to myself. I would take my art seriously. I would show up, practice, and apply. This was the beginning of that promise. I applied to the Auckland Art Show first, then the National Awards. I wasn’t afraid to put myself forward. I was ready.

“This part is my most proudest part of this competition: that my work was chosen in a blind judging process — purely on merit.”

Now, I’m using this affirmation as fuel. It’s already shaping my next steps —While I can’t share the actual finalist piece until after the awards ceremony on July 31st, I’ll carry the knowledge of it with me into every conversation and every canvas until then.

“I’m going to use it and run with it. I need to make hay while the sun shines.”

This finalist piece, and the larger body of work surrounding it, is a love letter to Aotearoa’s land and light — and to all the stories it still holds. I hope when people see it, they feel the weight of that memory, and the beauty of what we’re still learning to honour.