Concrete weeps. Steel remembers. Water
carries the weight of what we’ve buried.

Te Mauri o te Wai responds to the ongoing
impact of the 2023 Auckland Anniversary
Day floods and the failure of urban water
infrastructure. Made from concrete,
steel, rainwater, harakeke, and wool, the
work reveals how materials hold memory,
mauri, and agency.

As we carve our cities with concrete, the
whenua loses its ability to breathe.
Wetlands, as natural infrastructure,
absorb, filter, and slow water. Once
covering Aotearoa, 90% of our wetlands
have been destroyed. Te Mauri o te Wai,
reverberates their loss and calls for
their return. Titled after Auckland
Council's freshwater vision, to protect
and enhance Te Mauri o te Wai, the lifesustaining
capacity of water. This work
is guided by New Materialism and
Indigenous Futurism, treating matter as a
collaborator in healing.