Tui Emma Gillies| New Zealand Tonga
圖伊·艾瑪·吉利斯 | 紐西蘭東加

Taitung Goddess is a painting representing a flying fish of Taitung. The flying fish is in the form of a woman with the majestic Taitung Mountains as her hair. A cobra snake (the snake is often a symbol of healing) is climbing up her chest and around her neck heading back towards its home. The woman represents mother nature, a powerful goddess we must support and work alongside to protect our ecosystems and oceans. I wanted to capture the essence of Taitung with the Tongan kupesi etchings coming through in the background.

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The Taitung mountains stand like spiritual guardians in the background of The Sugar Factory at Highway 11 Open studios where I have been staying and doing my residency. The mountains have given me great inspiration for my work. A dog belonging to my host, Minsu, alerted her to a cobra snake in her home. I still remember how Minsu told me the next day and how she was still terrified even after it had been escorted out by professional snake removers. The woman in the painting is symbolic of mother nature. I’ve always believed women are beautiful and powerful beings and like to emphasise and draw attention to this by portraying them as such in my artworks.