Derek Lardelli Untitled, 1999

This mixed media sculpture was commissioned for the opening of the Wheki building at the Christchurch College of Education in 1999, prior to the college’s merger with the University of Canterbury. The artist, Derek Lardelli, is widely known as one of New Zealand’s finest tā moko (body art) proponents, and it is perhaps for this reason that the sculpture bears a resemblance to the uhi, or the needle, used in the art of tā moko. As with the moko which acts as a permanent mark of ones heritage and identity, this sculpture reminds us of the changing face of the University.

Artist's Biography

Derek Lardelli, (b.1961)