Matata-Fernbird-Philisturnus Carunculatus

Souvenir Plate Series from Night Flight exhibition at INLITE Lighting 2024

Sir Walter Buller was renowned for his meticulous documentation of New Zealand birdlife, with his ornithological illustrations first published in a History of the Birds of New Zealand in 1873.

My souvenir plate series reimagines this tradition, not to celebrate the vibrant diversity of these species but to confront the stark possibility that birds once abundant in their native habitats may soon be reduced to ornamental objects.

Each plate serves as a critique and memorial, positioning these species as emblems of a fading legacy, emphasizing their fragility and precarious existence.
These works are a vision of nature reduced to mere souvenirs reminding us of what we have lost and what we stand to lose.oor