NML236: Huia Momento Mori with gold flower beaded garland

Memento Mori “remember death” has been an underlying theme through Nicola McLaren’s work, this piece is part of a larger series of work, all of which deals with the concept of being aware of one’s mortality. The central female huia with wings outstretched, a bird which went extinct within recent memory, largely due to introduced predators and habitat destruction sits upon a shield, with a pattern created by imprinting lace doilies, and encircled by a wreath of flowers. Each of these elements tells a story of life, death, extinction, and memory. From a childhood where doilies were commonplace, to adulthood where they are just a memory, and there is a greater freedom of movement, but one that is constrained by the practical realities of modern life. These are also expressions of Nicola’s own frustrations with the constraints that chronic illness place upon her body. This is an expression of transition and movement, between childhood and imagination, life and death, grief for what is lost and finding love in the everyday.

Wall piece - Ceramic & 24ct gold & fine silver leaf