Shona Mackenzie - Homelands and Heartlands Exhibition

As a 1st generation Kiwi on her mother’s side, She, like many New Zealanders have a split concept of home. Despite having lived in New Zealand for most of her life, Scotland is her heart home. It is the home of her ancestors and the land to which she feels her soul is tied. This deep connection to the land and past generations grows stronger as the years go by.

Shona shares with us her concept behind this amazing exhibition:

 

As a young adult I spent ten years living in Scotland and reconnecting with my extended family, the culture and most of all the wild landscape of the West Coast. Despite my deep gratitude for being able to call New Zealand home and my love for this beautiful land, images of the Scottish landscape continue to emerge, unbidden within my work.

In this exhibition Heartlands and Homelands I offer my perspectives on what it means to be so deeply connected to the land. There are two words in The Gaidhlig (my mother tongue) which have no exact English translation. These words represent the concepts within this body of work perfectly. Dùthchas refers to the deep connection and the relationships that exist between the land, the life upon it and those that belong to it. Cianalas describes the longing - something akin to nostalgia and homesickness - and the sense of belonging that is experienced when one is away from the land of ones people. This is a word that is used particularly in relation to the Western Isles and the Hebrides - my heart home.

If we all held the land that calls to our heart in the same way that we treasure our families, perhaps this precious planet of green and blue, would not be struggling the way it is today. Tangata whenua have a whakataukī (proverb) which beautifully describes this deep bond and the responsibility that we all share “Ko au ko te whenua…” I am the land “ko te whenua ko au.” and the land is me.

Opening preview Friday 10th November, 5.30pm to 7.00pm  in the Incubator lounge. Everyone welcome.

On display in The Incubator Gallery from the 12th  to 28th of November 2023.  Open 10am -3pm Monday to Saturday