WATCH THIS SPACE: KEVIN LEDO
Whero O Te Rangi Bailey
Artist Kevin Ledo (@kevinledo) Date 2017 Location Crowne Plaza Hotel, 764 Colombo Street
From the Crowne Plaza Hotel’s rear wall, Canadian artist Kevin Ledo’s beautiful Whero O Te Rangi Bailey portrait overlooks the surrounding gravelly car park with unassuming grace. Produced for the Street Prints Ōtautahi festival in 2017, the mural is based on a photograph from Stuart Robertson’s global art project Peace in 10,000 Hands. Parihaka Kuia Whero gazes at a white rose in her hands, a symbol of peace, her face revealing warmth and wisdom. Behind her, a set of geometric forms suggest an ethereal presence. The painting is rendered in amazing detail, wrinkles and strands of hair discernible, while her hands, pushing forward, blur as they shift from focus. With its restrained colours, the mural is a subtle addition to the urban landscape, calmly waiting to be discovered.
Explore more of Ōtautahi’s urban art on a Watch This Space guided street art tour! Email tours@watchthisspace.org.nz for booking information.