Earnest Bradley |
He Waka Eke Noa, 2025

We Are All in the Canoe Together

This mural gives form to He Waka Eke Noa, the understanding that we move forward together, each responsible for the direction we take. The waka becomes a shared vessel, guided by many hands, each person carrying a hoi (oar) that represents their role, effort, and contribution to the collective journey.

Set against the blue of the Whau River, the work acknowledges the mauri that flows through this place, a living presence that sustains movement, connection, and renewal. The waka is infused with pounamu, a taonga symbolising endurance, protection, and shared purpose, grounding the journey in whakapapa and care for one another.

Here, movement is not individual but communal. The mural honours the strength found in unity and the pride that grows when community rows in rhythm, deepening connection to place and to mana whenua, Te Kawerau ā Maki. It stands as a reminder that our journeys are strongest when carried together.

Artist Acknowledgements

A heartfelt mihi to Dom Crawford for curating this project, to the local businesses that nourished us throughout the process, and to the Avondale community who shared their love for this place. Special thanks to Xan Kavanagh, Anaru Kingi, Kayvahn Esmailzadeh, and Pia Kahui, who helped complete the mural on the final day, infusing the work with their wairua.

Lisa Watkins |
Still We Belong – Between Us, Anchored, 2025

Acrylic offcuts and resin

Made up of three connected sections, Still We Belong – Between Us, Anchored reflects on how individuals and communities shift, adapt, and sometimes drift apart. The central piece represents the shared space of community – a place of connection, support, and collective identity. The upper and lower sections begin in alignment, then gradually tilt and fragment, echoing the ways people grow, change direction, and shape their own paths.

In a world where community ties can feel weakened by mobility, individualism, and rapid social change, this work speaks to the importance of balancing our need for personal independence, and the deep, human, desire to belong. It is a reminder that we can be separate, diverse, and individual – while still anchored to our tribe, our community, and our place in the world.

Artist Bio | Kōrero mō te Kaitoi

Based in West Auckland, Lisa Watkins transforms found and donated objects into bold, layered artworks that blend sculpture, assemblage, and mixed media. Working under the name MyShinyMadness, her practice is raw, reflective, and unapologetically shiny – a vibrant response to the chaos of modern life.

Tracey Tawhiao |
Hui Koorero, 2025

This work honours Hui Koorero, the earlier Māori name for this place – a site of gathering and speaking. Drawing from an archive of images, whānau creativity, and past artworks, Tawhiao layers colour, pattern, and symbol to recreate that meeting of voices in visual form – these collages breathe colour and consciousness into the main street of Avondale.

Each piece is a reflection of the community’s living spirit – vibrant, layered, and ever-changing. The ika (fish) move through currents of red, pink, and gold, carrying messages of flow and unity, while white linework wraps the glass in patterns of connection – a visual whakapapa linking people, place, and wairua.

Here, Te Ao Mārama – the world of light – finds form in the heart of Avondale, transforming everyday space into a site of renewal and joy. The work celebrates creative expression as collective healing, inviting passers-by to pause, reflect, and remember the beauty that lives among us.

Artist Bio | Kōrero mō te Kaitoi

Tracey Tawhiao (Ngāi Te Rangi, Whakatōhea, Ngāti Tūwharetoa) is a contemporary Māori artist and artivist whose multidisciplinary practice transforms language, form, and colour into pathways of connection and awareness.

Showing: 14 November – 19 January 2026