Echo | Te Ara Matauranga Waihi Beach Library | Western Bay of Plenty

At the heart of Waihi Beach is the ocean — connecting people, place, and environment.

Echo is made from layered aluminium forms inspired by fish scales, each individually painted to create a view of Tūhua (Mayor Island), the ocean, sky, and sun. Soft, flowing colours and subtle distortions, ripples and shapes echo the movement of water and the changing light of the coastline over time.

Up close, the work appears as abstract fragments; from a distance, it resolves into a familiar landscape — reflecting how individual elements come together to form a shared sense of place and identity. The repetition of shape echoes the time of past and future, stories told and stories to come.

Located at the Te Ara Matauranga Waihi Beach Library, the work speaks to community, connection, the moments that continue to shape this coastal environment; the importance of the whenua to our people and the role of Kaitiakitanga for protecting this place for future generations.