Unheld Ground

Unheld Ground | Emma Walker

In this powerful wall plate, Emma Walker uses the prehistoric landscape of Aotearoa to reflect on the fragility of our modern ecosystems.

Part of the Becoming Myth series, Unheld Ground depicts the Haast’s Eagle and the Moa—extinct giants that serve as a quiet record of loss and a reminder of the ongoing pressures on New Zealand's biodiversity.

The scene is expertly rendered on black stoneware using the sgraffito technique. Walker carves through vibrant layers of yellow underglaze to reveal the dark, raw clay beneath, creating a stark, high-contrast narrative.

By clear-glazing only the painted areas and leaving the bare clay exposed, she achieves a rugged, tactile finish that mirrors the prehistoric subject matter.

This work is a compelling meditation on the "slow erasure" of the natural world and a tribute to the species that once belonged here.

Group Exhibition: Between Land, Sea and Sky

Bringing together Beth McGill, Emma Walker, Meg Cummins and Strahan Clarke whose practices are deeply connected to the natural environments of Aotearoa, we present this exhibition 'Between Land, Sea and Sky'. 

Dimensions:
Width - 180mm x Height - 50mm