I shall never be lost

Original painting SOLD, oil on canvas, 1800 x 570mm, 2008

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Print sizes and editions (limited to 275)

• Regular museum archival paper print - 550 x 174mm

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
3. Your artwork arrives rolled, ready to be framed - do you need help? Request framing guidance

The story of I shall never be lost

"E kore au e ngaro, he kākano i ruia mai i Rangiātea."

"I shall never be lost, for I am a seed sown in Rangiātea."

This ancient Māori whakataukī or proverb, and this slightly surreal self-portrait of the artist wearing a traditional huia feather and pounamu earrings, both express the enduring connections that people have with their homelands and their ancestors. There is a quiet yet burgeoning energy about the painting that also signalls our inherent potential for growth. We are all intricately shaped by our history and heritage, whether we're conscious of it or not, which is a humbling truth.

He kākano (meaning "seed") conveys growth, development, and expansion. Even before a seed is planted or nourished, it has inherent promise -- the capability to take root, develop and grow. A person, like a seed, is inextricably linked to generations who have gone and are yet to come. He kākano comes from somewhere, it belongs to someone or something, and it cannot be isolated or detached from those connections. It has both history and potential.

Ruia means to plant, to sow, or to establish a foundation from which to develop. Ruia earths the seed - he kākano - so that it can be nourished with time and energy. Ruia is the link between potential and realisation. It sets the direction for development, travelling forward to Rangiātea and from it as well. Rangiātea is the start and finish, depicting the cyclical nature of growth and development.

Rangiātea represents the wider world, it is a group of islands in the Pacific Ocean also known as Raeatea or the Society Group. Like Hawaiiki, Rangiātea is considered an ancient Māori homeland from whence the original canoes voyaged to New Zealand centuries ago. Rangi means 'sky' and atea means 'clear' or 'space'. Rangiātea therefore also describes the world that opened up in the creation myth after the separation of Ranginui (Sky Father) and Papatuanuku (Earth Mother). Rangiātea marks the start and the end of the journey of potential - he kākano - as well as arrival at the point of opportunity to realise it - ruia.

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