Our fractured Mauao | Janet Fox

Our Fractured Mauao speaks quietly yet powerfully to the recent devastation of the Mount Maunganui landslide — a work that feels both raw and reflective, capturing the emotional weight left behind when a landscape so deeply tied to identity is suddenly altered.

Working in her signature mixed media style, Janet Fox layers torn fragments, distressed textures, and imperfect surfaces to mirror the instability and erosion of the whenua itself. The piece carries a sense of rupture and vulnerability, where tears, abrasions, and exposed edges become symbolic of both physical damage and collective grief. Yet within the fractured composition there is also resilience — a reminder that landscapes, like communities, carry stories within their scars.

Known for embracing the “perfectly imperfect,” Janet allows raw materials and found elements to guide the narrative of the work. In Our Fractured Mauao, these textures feel especially poignant, echoing the shifting earth, broken contours, and emotional aftershock of the landslide. The restrained palette and layered surfaces create a work that is contemplative and deeply grounded in place — less a literal depiction, more an emotional response to Mauao and its changing face.

Intimate in scale yet rich in detail, this piece invites viewers to pause and reflect on the fragility of both nature and memory, and the enduring connection between people and the landscapes they call home.