Locals invited to discover creative process behind new exhibition

Murihiku arts aficionados will have the chance to hear from four renowned printmakers this weekend, as the latest exhibition to be unveiled at He Waka Tuia is officially opened.

Small Holes in the Silence will run from Saturday 22 November to Sunday 18 January, 2026.

He Waka Tuia Manager Sarah Brown said the community was invited to a floor talk and artist demonstrations with nationally-renowned artists Kyla Cresswell, Catherine Macdonald, Prue MacDougall, and Nan Mulder on opening day of the exhibition.

Small Holes in the Silence featured the works of the four artists, who had responded visually – through mediums including etching, drypoint, mezzotint, collage, and more – to revered Aotearoa New Zealand poet Hone Tuwhare’s celebrated work Rain.

“The exhibition itself is really contemplative and striking. On first glance, it’s the simplicity of some of the works that gives you pause, but each piece invites you to take a deeper look to expand your own interpretation,” Brown said.

The exhibition drew its title from Tuwhare’s tender line, ‘I can hear you making small holes in the silence rain’ – a phrase that became a catalyst for the four artists, who each brought a distinct yet interwoven response to it, Brown said.

“Each of the works in Small Holes in the Silence is a celebration of a medium that is more than capable of speaking quietly, yet powerfully,” she said.

The floor talk and artist demonstrations would give the local arts community the opportunity to get an inside look at the artists’ techniques and practices, and allow them to hear about their approaches, processes, and the ways in which they engaged with the art of printmaking, she said.

“The artists’ works are really emotive and echo the presence and cadence of Tuwhare’s poetry – which in themselves, are often complementary to the works of his close friend and celebrated New Zealand artist Ralph Hotere,” she said.

“There’s something really compelling about today’s collective of artists responding to such an important relationship. Tuwhare’s poetry and Hotere’s visual works were renowned for meeting in a really resonant conversation – they were two distinct voices guided by a similar affinity for clarity and emotional truth. The common language their works spoke with one another have been echoed, years later, by the artists showing at Small Holes in Silence, which is a beautiful continuation of that dialogue.”

Rooted in the shared language of mark-making, Small Holes in the Silence explored the relationship between sound and stillness, and our ties to the natural world.

Òtepoti-based artist Cresswell worked to examine relationships across the natural world, on a micro and macro level, while Whanganui-based printmaker and book artist Macdonald’s works often featured solitary, symbolic forms – including birds and animals – placed within vast empty spaces.

Auckland artist MacDougall, who moved between collage and hand-drawn artistry, layered narrative worlds informed by memory and drama. Meanwhile, mezzotint specialist Mulder – originally from the Netherlands, but whose connection to the Aotearoa printmaking community spanned decades – explored the space between internal and external worlds.

“Small Holes in the Silence is a really exemplary reminder of how contemporary printmaking is able to explore poetic language and the threads that connect us as humans to the natural and spirital worlds. We are really excited for the Murihiku Southland community to have the opportunity to engage with the exhibition in person, and reflect on what those connections mean to them,” Brown said.

The artists were grateful to Rob Tuwhare and the Hone Tuwhare estate for permission to use the text Rain by Hone Tuwhare (translated by Patu Hohepa).

Saturday’s floor talk would begin at 12pm at He Waka Tuia. It was free for the community to attend, and registrations were not required, Brown said.