CURRENT AND UPCOMING exhibitions

Papare eighty.one. PĀTAKA ART + MUSEUM. 22 June – 13 October 2024

Collective action, climate change, and the protection of our natural environments are at the heart of Anton Forde’s installation Papare Eighty.one. 

81 carved, wooden pou appear as sentinels in the gallery. Created by Anton Forde, each pou—distinguished from each other by only the slightest difference in head shape, inclination, and hard-carved Pounamu taonga—are placed in a kao kao formation. The specific motifs, carved forms, and numerology in the formation are inspired by Taiao / nature. Papare Eighty.one suggests the ongoing need to protect these waters. As individuals—both visitor and pou—gather together in place and in formation, Papare Eighty.one enacts a call to kotahitanga, to collective action, that protects and safeguards the future of our waters for generations to come.

MĀHUTONGA AND te wepu mmxxiii. WAIHEKE COMMUNITY ART GALLERY, 17 MAY TO 30 JUNE 2024

Anton Forde (Taranaki, Gaeltracht, Gaelic, English) exhibits significant works from 2019-2024 alongside a new installation by his teacher and mentor, Prof. Robert Jahnke ONZM FRSNZ Arts Foundation Laureate 2023 (Ngāi Taharoa, Te Whānau a Iritekura, Te Whānau a Rakairoa o Ngāti Porou). 

Anton Forde’s Māhutonga – time stands still presents works in kōhatu/stone, Pounamu, andesite and basalt, carved with markings of Māhutonga/the Southern Cross, Raukura/feathers and Roimata/teardrops.  These works are a recognition of and salute to our natural world, and the hope that humanity brings whilst interacting with her.  One of the artist’s first memories is his father, the engineer on the Milford Road, showing him Māhutonga/ the Southern Cross in the Piopiotahi/Milford Sound night sky, telling him “if ever you are lost, those stars will guide you home.”  Anton Forde says, “These works pay tribute to those whetū/ stars, and those permanently living with the stars, who allow us to find home today.” 

Prof. Robert Jahnke’s Te Wepu MMXXIII references elements of Para Matchitt’s iconic Te Wepu Installation, using layers of triangular and diamond light to frame its signature motifs while creating iterations of pattern into infinity – cloaked by reflections embracing star, moon, mountain, heart and cross, reverberating enlightenment as light emerges out of the darkness.

“PAPARE / PROTECTION”
SCULPTURE BY THE SEA,Cottlesloe 2024

Forde was invited to exhibit Papare/ Protection at https://sculpturebythesea.com/cottesloe/ which celebrated its 20th exhibition from March 1-20 2024. To celebrate the 20th anniversary, over 70 artists from 15 countries were invited to exhibit by Sculpture by the Sea’s National Artistic Advisory Committee. Respected sculptors from WA and across Australia were joined by renowned international artists, with 13 Japanese artists alongside artists from England, New Zealand, USA and Switzerland – representing excellence in sculpture from around the globe.  The Sculpture by the Sea team said of Papare, “Sixty contemporary Māori Pou serve as guardians and protectors, embodying the artist’s vision to bring awareness to caring for the world and how we all have a role to play – to unify and protect land and seas for future generations. For Forde, his profound connection to the land, reverence for nature’s majesty, and fascination with indigenous cultures serve as the primary inspirations for his work. This marks Forde’s debut exhibition at Sculpture by the Sea, Cottesloe.”