Kahurangiariki Smith’s (b.1996 Te Arawa, Tainui, Takitimu, Horouta and Mātaatua) practice explores taniwha as relational presences rather than fixed mythological figures.
In this exhibition, taniwha are depicted as forms that emerge in response to emotional intensity, pressure and survival. They act as vessels for feelings that are difficult to hold (grief, fear, anger and endurance) shifting depending on circumstance and perspective.
Rather than illustrating one historic taniwha directly, Kahurangiariki treats taniwha as living, adaptive forces that respond to contemporary experiences.