Nanny Lil me ōna mokopuna

2021

Digital composite image

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"It's weird to make an artwork that I won’t ever see in the flesh. I haven't seen my nephew Arlo Akuhata in the flesh for two years because of the pandemic. He lives in London, so I made this for him. A way for him to connect to my kids and us over here. A way for him to sit on his nanny’s lap. A way for the four of them to be in the same place at once. Through whakapapa we are all in this image, me, my kids, my brother, my nieces and nephews, my partner, our parents, cousins, aunties, uncles, grandparents, our marae...all of our combined tipuna. Its a family portrait.

I am especially grateful that this opportunity was given to me by the In*ter*is*land Collective. Moana led. Moana excellence."

- Melanie Tangaere Baldwin