The paintings emerge from a two-year period of study and experimentation with karamea, or red ochre. Working with this and other earthen pigments, Turei builds up layers of colour to evoke the deep connections between the whenua, wāhine, and essential cycles of being: ‘Kurawaka is the source of inspiration for this body of work, which is part of a larger exploration into kōkōwai and honouring our whakapapa to Hineahuone. Kurawaka is said to be the place in which Papatūānuku’s īkura flowed, as well as where Ranginui’s blood soaked her body during their separation.’ The exhibition also honours the late Robyn Kahukiwa, whose powerful representations of atua wāhine and mana wāhine have had an enduring influence on Turei.