DescriptionKōanga – Spring by Eugene Kara
Kōanga, meaning “spring,” is a bronze sculpture by Eugene Kara made up of seven sculptural forms of various sizes. Originally placed in The Tainui Court—named for its Golden Tainui trees (Pomaderris apetala)—the work sat between A Block (home to Te Pua Wānanga ki te Ao, now the Faculty of Māori and Indigenous Studies) and Te Āhurutanga, the office of the Pro Vice‐Chancellor Māori. The piece was created to welcome students, staff, and visitors to a special place of learning. It continues to share this kaupapa in its new location, as The Tainui Court made way for the construction of The Pā.
Kara, an experienced arts practitioner both nationally and internationally, trained under Lyonel Grant and George Andrews and went on to co-found the first Māori bronze casting studio at Te Puia in Rotorua. He has also led educational initiatives supporting Māori aspirations, including establishing an MOU between Waiariki Institute of Technology (now Toi Ohomai) and Whitecliffe College in Auckland, enabling arts degree access via distance learning for regional students—a regional first that helped grow local creative practice.
Kara’s work embodies the theme of groundbreaking—literally and metaphorically. Kōanga honours the pursuit of knowledge, the sowing of effort, and the reaping of success. Inspired by traditional Māori gardening tools such as the Ko, Kaheru, and Timo, each figure references cultivation and care: plowing, planting, weeding, and harvesting. Kara draws a parallel between this and a student’s journey—learning, nurturing vision, and flourishing.
A total of seven bronze figures cluster together to represent a unified whānau, sheltering and protecting the next generation. The sculpture is anchored by the whakataukī:
Nā tō rourou, nā taku rourou ka ora ai te iwi
With your food basket and my food basket, the people will thrive.
The work is a celebration of diligence, perseverance, and shared purpose—offering a powerful message: with unity and effort, goals of the highest calibre can be achieved.CreatorEugene Kara
Kaitiakitanga StatementWe ask that, in addition to normal copyright and privacy considerations, users of our taonga and resources uphold the mana and dignity of the people, communities and places depicted or referred to within.CopyrightUniversity of Waikato
