In many ways the Whau represents the nature of Auckland as home to a wide range of people and communities. This artwork clearly paints a picture of some of the many different faces that call the city home. Featuring a diverse range of ages and ethnicities, the portraits are adorned with plants and flowers symbolic of different regions of the world. These blooms also symbolise the natural world and the interdependent relationship we have with it. This is expanded further by the background colour palette that employs blue tones to acknowledge the Whau river and warm tones informed by the brick industry that was built off of the rivers banks.

Margarita is a multidisciplinary artist who predominantly works with a brush. A focus on portraiture has become an integral part of her current practice. Through it she seeks to communicate the unspoken, intangible and unseen qualities that exist around her subjects. Revealing more about the manner in which they relate to the world and the nature of a nuanced human experience than what a purely observational depiction might provide.

Instagram:  @margaritavovna