Tales from Te Papa - Art of the Haka

What I liked was the chunky, rough-hewn weathered nature of the bird forms (which look, appropriately, like seagulls), fitting in so well with the whole bridge – which in retrospect is not surprising since the bridge itself is the sculpture. The timber apparently was new when it was built, but has weathered since then to a lovely greyish tone.

– Artist Jules Tern on Paratene Matchitt's City to Sea Bridge sculpture in Wellington, on her website

Whiti te ra means "the sun shines" and it really refers to the elation that Te Rauparaha felt after escaping near death...

– Curator Megan Tamati-Quennell explains the meaning behind Para Matchitt's abstract painting