This artwork was created by artist Ariki Brightwell at the Wellington Shelly Bay protest site in support of the Mauwhenua occupation, which lasted 525 days in resistance to the unjust purchase of iwi land by developer Ian Cassels.

The piece depicts the great ancestor Taraika, for whom Te Whanganui-a-Tara is named. His pā, Whetūkairangi, once stood on Motukairangi (now known as the Miramar Peninsula). Tara is shown holding the uru (breadfruit), referencing the original name of Shelly Bay Omarukaikuru, a name associated with the breadfruit and its significance as a traditional food source.

By depicting the ancestors of this land, the artwork seeks to uplift the mana of Māori and affirm the ongoing struggle for land that was wrongfully taken. The painting also portrays the island of Motukairangi, Tara’s harbour, the powerful winds, and the mountain ranges that separate Wairarapa from the Wellington region.

The work was painted directly at the protest site on a panel originally left behind by the developer depicting their build plans for the site. Once part of a promotional display, the panel was reclaimed and painted over as an act of protest restoring the presence of our ancestors erased by colonisation and challenging the illegitimate sale of the land without the people’s consent.

Artist available for commission. 

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