In a powerful UK premiere, Aotearoa New Zealand artist Anton Forde presents his monumental installation Papare Eighty.one (2024) in a striking new site-specific configuration at the Sainsbury Centre, Norwich. Shown for the first time outside New Zealand, the work is the centrepiece of Tiaki Ora ∞ Protecting Life, part of the Centre’s 2025 season Can We Stop Killing Each Other?

Born in Invercargill, Forde (Taranaki Māori, Gaelic, Gaeltacht, English), who is a registered artist with Ngāi Tahu, has long explored Māori cultural knowledge, peaceful resistance and the sacred strength of collectivity through wood sculpture in wood and kōhatu/stone. Papare Eighty.one features 81 towering pou (wooden figures) standing 8.2 feet tall, arranged in a V-shaped formation echoing the flight patterns of migratory birds – a visual metaphor for kotahitanga: unity, solidarity and purpose. Each pou wears a pounamu (nephrite) teardrop necklace – a shared symbol of sorrow and strength, and six pou are adorned with intricately woven garments by kaiwhatu Shiree Reihana (Ngāpuhi, Ngāi Tūteauru).

The installation also incorporates a rare early Māori wooden figure held in the Sainsbury Centre’s collection, deepening the cross-cultural and historic resonance of the work.

Referencing the peaceful resistance of the Māori community at Parihaka in 1881 – when villagers met a colonial invasion with song and open arms – Forde’s installation speaks to a wider global history of non-violent protest. It’s a compelling call for future generations to stand together and protect life – culturally, spiritually, and physically.

Also featured is a new outdoor sculpture carved especially for the Sainsbury Centre: Tokiwai / Water Adze, a tribute to the tools that first shaped our world and sustained its life-giving waters.

🎟 Pay What You Can, available on arrival at the gallery. Group bookings or access needs: scva@uea.ac.uk or 01603 593199.
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