Detailed with gold, Sofia Minson’s ‘Sirius Dreaming’ shines bright in the Heard Park sunshine for all our Parnell community to admire.
The tail is inspired by the ideas of entering a new paradigm in which we are awakening to the messages of the earth, the ancient gods, and animal and nature spirits.
Sofia’s art has been collected globally for nearly two decades. The Auckland based painter draws inspiration from her mixed Ngāti Porou Māori, Swedish, English and Irish heritage, and from growing up in Samoa, Sri Lanka, and China. Back in New Zealand, Sofia began painting contemporary portraits and landscapes overlaid with symbols and meaning from ancestral proverbs and cosmology. This strengthened her link to her Māori roots in particular.
Art is Sofia’s vehicle to study our shared human evolution. She is constantly awed by recurring themes in storytelling, spiritual texts and visual symbols from diverse people, cultures and religions around the world. Sofia has created large-scale public artworks and been featured in documentaries. She has won three national art awards including the Molly Morpeth Canada Art Award in 2005 and is a four-time finalist in the New Zealand Portrait Gallery’s Adam Portraiture Awards, winning People’s Choice in 2012.
Sofia says the following about her tail: “I see whales as kaitiaki or guardians of the deep waters of our collective planetary consciousness. Archetypally, deep waters mirror deep space, and both are connected to the origins of creation. This whale tale has provided a rich imaginal space for me to share a dream about the flow of myths that evolve, cross pollinate and co-arise across earth’s cultures throughout deep time.
“In ancient Egypt, the brightest star in the sky, Sirius, was associated with the goddess Sopdet who later became known as Isis. She is depicted on the left with the single star of Sirius in her crown. The constellation of Orion’s Belt was associated with her consort, the god Sah, who later became Osiris. He is depicted on the right with a crown featuring the three prominent Orion’s Belt stars. “
As a painter who usually paints on canvas, Sofia enjoyed the bodily experience of painting a sculpture. She described the process like a dance, with the manoeuvring and movement around the tail, lying on the floor and bent in strange angles to paint each corner. When asked what Sofia appreciates most about the Whales Tales 2022 campaign, she replied with the fact that all the art will be for public viewing on the streets—everyone can experience the art freely and it is accessible for anyone from all walks of life to enjoy it.
Sponsors: This sculpture is co-sponsored by Parnell Business Association and the Masfen Group.
Masfen Group is a family owned investment company that is passionate about New Zealand. The Masfen Group is proud to support the Whale Tales initiative celebrating New Zealand, Art, and marine conservation protecting and restoring the mauri of our ocean.
WHALE TAIL DAMAGE
Each Whale Tail is a work of art, and deserves to be admired and appreciated as such. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee that everyone will treat the Whale Tails with respect. If you come across a damaged Tail, please text the Tail name, location and a brief description of the damage to 022 042 9074.
