Manurewa

This sculpture soars above Mission Bay as a kaitiaki (guardian) of the site, while also referencing New Zealand aviation history. As if in flight, the bird's intricately constructed body seems to possess a powerful strength, with a dramatic wingspan that stretches to six metres.

Fred Graham used titanium rods and stainless steel wire to craft this artwork, which is suspended six metres above the ground. Manurewa means flying bird and was also the name of the Walsh Brothers' homemade plane, which made the first successful powered flight in New Zealand in 1911.

Birds are a recurring theme in Graham’s work, due to their importance in the natural world and within Māori mythology, where they serve as a rich source of metaphor and storytelling. Manurewa was commissioned in 2007 and is located at Selwyn Reserve in Mission Bay.