Papatuanuku's Silence

Original painting SOLD, oil on canvas, 500 x 1830mm, 2005

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Print sizes and editions (limited to 275)

• Regular museum archival paper print - 150 x 550mm

Your unique limited edition fine art print

1. Sofia Minson creates your exclusive signed print
2. We ship for $25 in NZ and from $50 internationally
3. Your artwork arrives rolled, ready to be framed - do you need help? Request framing guidance
   
   

The story of Papatuanuku's Silence

The painting "Papatuanuku's Silence" explores the sensuous, mysterious qualities of Papatuanuku or Earth Mother in traditional Maori mythology.

Sofia explains her thoughts on the piece:

"The title isn't intended to be strictly symbolic. The word "Silence" is used to make the viewer pensive, calm and receptive to the work. The important process is how the viewer interprets the piece, hopefully with an open mind and heart. Having said that, when I begun the painting I really wanted to find a point where the female form was no longer human, but not yet transformed into actual hills, valleys and landscape. I think this uncanny position of female life almost becoming land, connects the human or goddess element of Papatuanuku from the old stories, and the actual land of Aotearoa (New Zealand) together. I am of Ngati Porou descent (Ngati Porou is a Maori tribe from the east coast of the North Island of NZ) and words from my tribe's traditional proverb of identity demonstrate the fundamental importance of land to Maori people:

Ko Hikurangi te maunga

 Ko Waiapu te awa 

Ko Ngati Porou te iwi 

Hikurangi is the mountain 

Waiapu is the river 

Ngati Porou are the people 

The mountain, the river and the land is deeply ingrained in Maori identity. This is why Papatuanuku is of such spiritual and cultural significance in this painting."

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Sofia Minson Paintings | New Zealand Artwork