Sculptures and Installations
The Kāpiti Coast has many beautiful sculptures that can be found in various outdoor locations around the District, not to mention resident sculptors, open during the year by appointment, and annually on the Kāpiti Arts Trail.
Stroll through Paraparaumu's civic centre and make your way down to the beach to see some stunning examples:
Voices against Violence, Corner of Rimu and Kāpiti Roads - Local sculptor Bodhi Vincent created his Voices Against Violence sculpture in 2011.
KiwiRiders, Rimu Road, Coastlands - KiwiRiders, crafted by artist Will Clijsen, shows two children riding a stylised, flying Kiwi. It is made of stainless steel under bronze casting.
Pou, Rimu Road - Chris Gerretzen on behalf of Te Āti Awa. Hermann Salzmann on behalf of Ngāti Toa Rangatira and Ngāti Raukawa (with help from his brother, Tana Salzmann). The three carvings represent the three iwi of Kāpiti who signed the Treaty of Waitangi. “The pou acknowledge the journey Council and the district’s tāngata whenua have taken together. They give mana to this civic area and give it a sense of completion.” Ex KCDC Mayor Jenny Rowan.
Kaitiaki, Paraparaumu Library -Artist Ra Vincent carved three marble stones, reclaimed from the refurbished government buildings in Wellington, with images appropriate to the Kāpiti area - Harakeke, Puwerewere, the face of people as guardians of this land. The stones are united by flowing water.
Te Tuna Ki Paraparaumu, Paraparaumu Library - Designed by Debra Bustin, created by Joe T Richardson and Gail Lewis. With inspiration from Spanish Architect Antoni Gaudi, this piece is covered with pictures and symbols representative of the Kāpiti Coast. Te Tuna faces the nearest awa - the Wharemauku Stream.
Te Hekenga - The Migration, Paraparaumu Library - Te Hekenga was carved by Hemi Sundgren (Te Āti Awa ki Whakarongotai) with the assistance of Shannon Wafer (Te Āti Awa) and Tamati Holmes (Te Āti Awa). Te Hekenga provides the entranceway to Paraparaumu Library. The three waka symbolise the three iwi of the Kāpiti Coast - Te Āti Awa ki Whakarongotai, Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga me Ngā Hapū o Ōtaki, Ngāti Toa Rangatira - and their migration to the Kāpiti Coast.
Te Huarahi Raupo, Kāpiti Road - Designed by award-winning landscape architect Ben Hoyle, Te Huarahi Raupo is a garden created to represent tangata whenua connections to the land and to provide a reflective space for the community to enjoy.
Tohorā, Marine Parade, Maclean Park - In June 2020, we installed and blessed Tohorā by internationally renowned artist Kereama Taepa. A stunning, multi-media work is integrated beautifully into the recently refreshed Te Uruhi/Maclean Park, and honours a particularly significant site for mana whenua Te Āti Awa and Ngāti Toa. Tohorā is based on the traditional Aramoana pattern and features ambient lighting and sound effects to evoke the passage of whales and the concept of journeying.
Whale Song, proposed - Kāpiti Artist Mike Fuller’s “Whale Song” is an inspirational public sculpture and community education project devoted to the truly remarkable, and not often seen, Humpback whales which transverse our coast each year. The mission of this public art project is to tell the whales stories and enlighten people about the marine environment and how to look after it.
20 years of the Kāpiti Arts Trail
We celebrated 20 years of the Arts Trail in 2020, with a wonderfully diverse range of artists, and had the chance to get close to many of our working artists as they created their artwork.
Find out more