Hine Puhitapu

Mere Harrison Lodge was one of the first Māori women to attend the Elam School of Fine Arts, graduating in 1964. There, she was taught by such influential figures as A Lois White and Jim Allen and it was with Allen’s guidance that Lodge developed a strong affinity for sculpture. 'Hine Puhitapu', 1964, is based on a female student from Vietnam who was studying at the University of Auckland at the same time as Lodge. In the work, the artist has simplified the woman’s body, removing unnecessary details to instead concentrate on her tall, upright posture and on capturing a sense of her contemplative nature. The figure gazes up and out, her arms held behind her back as she quietly observes something in the space beyond. Lodge was interested in the angularity of the figure’s hips and the work’s gently twisting shape recalls the contrapposto pose which has captured sculptors’ imaginations across millennia.

– Julia Waite, Curator, New Zealand Art | Kairauhī, Toi nō Aotearoa, 2024

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