Christine Te Ruihana Hayes

My practice is rooted in a lifelong search for connection between self, whenua and the unseen threads linking us to ancestral memory and the natural world. Working across painting, written and ceramic forms, I am drawn to wild places — roaring coastlines, the breath of the ngahere and quiet spaces where time slows. These environments are living presences that hold memory and connection. Through them, I explore belonging, estrangement and the journey of return.