Kōrero: Hawke’s Bay region

‘Study for memorial mural’, 1960

‘Study for memorial mural’, 1960

Artist Rita Angus was born in Hastings and spent part of her childhood in Napier. She left to attend Canterbury College of Art but returned to Hawke’s Bay for visits throughout her life. In 1960 Angus designed a mural for a local school, as a memorial for children killed during the 1931 earthquake. Despite the subject matter, the work has a very positive feeling about it – though ruined buildings are depicted, so is the new town that emerged later. The use of light colours and the central position given to the sun enhances this feeling.

Courtesy of the Rita Angus Estate

Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
Watercolour by Rita Angus

Permission of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

Ngā whakaahua me ngā rauemi katoa o tēnei kōrero

Te tuhi tohutoro mō tēnei whārangi:

Kerryn Pollock, 'Hawke’s Bay region - Arts, culture and built heritage', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/mi/artwork/23932/study-for-memorial-mural-1960 (accessed 28 March 2024)

He kōrero nā Kerryn Pollock, updated 1 Jul 2015