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He whakaahua, he mea matarau
(Art, that many faced thing)

A suite of eight works by Sonja van Kerkhoff 2023
in Object (the physical image) curated by Ellie Smith + Chris Schreuder
Shutter Room Gallery, 9 Rust Avenue, Whangārei, Te Tai Tokerau, Aotearoa / New Zealand

  Sculpture by Sonja van Kerkhoff featuring 0.01% of the fill dumped on our land
Left to Right: Prison of Self, 20 cm diameter, one of two looped videos, Ka tū te rimu (the rimu makes a stand /
the rimu stands), photographs, perspex, mirror, rimu tree trunk, 40 kilo of fill (less than 0.01% of the fill
dumped by our neighbour on our land), The reckless earthworks that swell and slide (in our backyard),
50 x 30 cm, Life Line, 10 cm diameter, Measuring Definitions, 10 x 10 cm.

These works offer diverse perspectives (matarau) on the word, Object.

Ka tū te rimu (the rimu makes a stand / the rimu stands) is a response to over 400 ton of fill being dumped on our suburban property. Just 0.1% of this tree clogging clay is part of this work.

The rimu, here from another tree, not the tree in what remains of our small forest, stands upside down. In the Māori creation story, Tāne, guardian of the forests stood upside down in order to separate his parents, Ranginui and Papatūānuki. Here the rimu points more to an out of place, out of order, sense of things.
That fill is not a nurturing mother earth.
And the child's open hand refracts and reflects as you move around the fill.
It is like a signifier or a rupture.

 Sculpture by Sonja van Kerkhoff featuring 0.01% of the fill dumped on our land
Detail of Ka tū te rimu (the rimu makes a stand /
the rimu stands) featuring my eldest granddaughter's hands.

 Sculpture by Sonja van Kerkhoff featuring 0.01% of the fill dumped on our land
Ka tū te rimu (the rimu makes a stand /
the rimu stands) with work by Chris Schreuder
and (right) photographs by Grant Beran.

Sculpture by Sonja van Kerkhoff featuring 0.01% of the fill dumped on our land
still The Dumping, 3 min video, music by Gavin Nigel.
The native owl (ruru) lived in one of the trees
knocked down by the neighbour.
Lower Right: Measuring Definitions (Child's Play)
Whakamārama Ine (Te takaro a Te tamaiti), 2018
Limited Edition 2/50.
Photograph on dubond, oil based varnish,
10 x 15 cm. $NZ 300.
Sculpture by Sonja van Kerkhoff featuring 0.01% of the fill dumped on our land

Sculpture by Sonja van Kerkhoff featuring 0.01% of the fill dumped on our land Installation of 8 works by Sonja van Kerkhoff in the Shutter Room, Whangarei, Te Tai Tokerau / Northland, Aotearoa New Zealand, 2 June - 1 July 2023 
Detail of Ka tū te rimu (the rimu makes a stand /
the rimu stands) featuring my eldest granddaughter's hands.

Sculpture by Sonja van Kerkhoff featuring 0.01% of the fill dumped on our land Installation of 8 works by Sonja van Kerkhoff in the Shutter Room, Whangarei, Te Tai Tokerau / Northland, Aotearoa New Zealand, 2 June - 1 July 2023
Left to Right: Life Line, 10 cm diameter, Measuring Definitions, 10 x 10 cm, Ka tū te rimu (the rimu makes a stand / the rimu stands) with Dead Insects by Ellie (Ellen) Smith, photographic life-size documention of a chafer beetle, flies, bees, cicadas, cockroaches,and wasps, set into upcycled vintage jewellery. Each piece of jewellery also records the date it was found dead, and the insect's Māori and English names.

Photo Print by Sonja van Kerkhoff
Lifeline / He kapunga tuwhera, He tautoko, Edition 7/35. Photo-print on dubond. 10 cm diameter

Installation of 8 works by Sonja van Kerkhoff in the Shutter Room, Whangarei, Te Tai Tokerau / Northland, Aotearoa New Zealand, 2 June - 1 July 2023
Left to Right: Closing the gap (Child's Play)
Whakawhiti i te āputa (Te takaro a Te tamaiti), 2018,
Limited Edition 1/50. Photograph on dubond, oil based varnish,
10 x 15 cm. Video: The Dumping

Photo Print by Sonja van Kerkhoff
Closing the gap (Child's Play)
Whakawhiti i te āputa (Te takaro a Te tamaiti), 2018,

 Installation of 8 works by Sonja van Kerkhoff in the Shutter Room, Whangarei, Te Tai Tokerau / Northland, Aotearoa New Zealand, 2 June - 1 July 2023
Left to Right: He manawa piharau | Perseverance
Closing the gap (Child's Play), Whakawhiti i te āputa
(Te takaro a Te tamaiti), 2018, 10 x 15 cm

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