Tūwhakarōria | Digging Stick

Creator: Chris Harvey

Supported by: NZ Lottery Funding for Change

The artwork draws on the story of Rākaihautū, who travelled through Te Waipounamu using his Tūwhakarōria the kō (digging stick) to dig out lakes and waterways – connecting the trail with one of the earliest stories of people and the landscape.

The idea is for the kō to be situated on a compass with the mechanism for the kō to spin and become an interactive tool for tamariki (children). The work will be made from wood and galvanised steel, with carved and painted elements and an etched bronze plate.