Michael Parekowhai’s sculpture has been described by the Queensland’s Gallery of Modern Art as “spectacular in appearance and complex in its allusions”, as he subtly navigates the salient cultural phenomena that surround contemporary indigenous identity. The artist renders quotidian objects extraordinary, blending cultural references from Maori and European traditions. Parekowhai neatly balances humour and criticality in his monolithic work 'Coral' (2015) and playful 'They Comfort Me III' (2015). A jocular dissonance emerges as the proud posture and scale of the sculpture 'Coral' commands the viewer’s reverence, while retaining the cutesy and kitsch connotations of its pop-cultural form. This juxtaposition is equally invoked through the work 'They Comfort Me III', as a set of children’s Pickup Stix, is poised like a sheath of spears ready for battle. Parekowhai’s work inspires multiplicity of interpretation, conjuring complex and traditionally conflicting associations.
