Blue Planet

Original painting SOLD, oil on canvas, 1010 x 1370 mm, 2012

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Print sizes and editions (limited to 275)

• Regular museum archival paper print - 545 x 739mm

Your unique limited edition fine art print

1. Sofia Minson creates your exclusive signed print
2. We ship for $25 in NZ and from $50 internationally
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The story of Blue Planet

In this perfect storm, a lone waka (canoe) sails the mountainous waves lit by moonlight. "Blue Planet" is a story of our Pacific navigation, of our ancient voyages, which first brought Polynesians to Aotearoa, then a nameless isle in a vast blue ocean. What drove them to brave the might of Tangaroa (god of the sea)? Time blurs the edges between myth and history. Was it Maui who fished up Te Ika a Maui (the north island of New Zealand) or was it Kupe's wife Hine Te Aparangi who first spotted the land of the long white cloud after a perilous journey from Hawaiiki, in which they encountered and defeated an enraged monstrous octopus and high seas? One can only imagine and dream of wild, mysterious voyages.

From dreams and myth to modern society and the economy, Minson has also been inspired by professor Damon Salesa who grew up in Glen Innes and became the First Rhodes Scholar of Pacific descent. She is interested in his views about how we have the opportunity to view ourselves as not only a nation in the middle of the pacific, but an active, cooperative pacific nation. In a 2012 interview with Kim Hill on Radio New Zealand National he argued that "New Zealand needs to embrace its position as another Pacific Island nation and build those relationships.  New Zealand is part of Polynesia.  It has this Polynesian foundation, which should be the primary way of relating to the Pacific.  It's often not appreciated by New Zealanders that of all the major regions New Zealand trades with, the only one it actually makes a profit with is the Pacific.  It owes money at the end of the year to Asia, it owes money to NAFTA, the only one that turns a profit is the Pacific.  So it makes business sense, it's our own homeland and home ocean, and yet it seems to be something we've both taken for granted and overlooked."

This painting was part of Minson's September 2012 solo exhibition at Parnell Gallery. Watch this Maori Television feature on the show:

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Sofia Minson Paintings | New Zealand Artwork