A constant presence to all who live in Whāingaroa is our maunga, our mountain, Karioi looming large over the landscape
Just how some members of RaglanArt regard Karioi will be on display in an upcoming art exhibition in the Old School Gallery in September.
Likened to a ‘sleeping lady’, Karioi features in several Māori legends, including the one from long ago when Karewa, the husband of Karioi, flirted with her sister Pirongia, and was cast into the sea as the offshore rock known as Gannet Island.
Whether she is shrouded in cloud or fully revealed she is always there keeping a watchful eye on the land and her people.
There are many different aspects of Karioi – the bush, the steep faces, the surrounding land, all of which invoke different feelings.
In the RaglanArt exhibition ‘Regarding Karioi’ the members will explore what Karioi means to them.
With two photographers and eight painters, there is sure to be a wide range of interpretation of ‘The Sleeping Lady’.
Opening night is Saturday, September 10, from 2pm-5pm and the exhibition will run through until Sunday, September 25, from 10am-3pm.
Exhibiting artists are Elsa Lye, Janet Scott, Wanda Barker, Lois Brooks, Julie Macdonald, Richard Gemmell, Dyana Wells, Helma van der Pasch, Catherine Houston and Loesje de Bree.
