Artist: Molly Macalister, 1967
Location: Quay Street
Materials: bronze
Today, A Māori Figure in a Kaitaka Cloak appears as a traditional bronze sculpture, but when artist Molly Macalister created the monumental image of dignity in 1964-1966, she sent revolutionary ripples through public art commissioning in Auckland.
The warrior is clad in the prestigious cloak of a chief. He gazes towards the horizon and holds a mere, a symbol of peace, at his side.
A pivotal work that demonstrates changing attitudes of the 1960s, A Māori Figure in a Kaitaka Cloak was the first public sculpture in New Zealand to be commissioned from a female artist. Macalister's design met with considerable controversy, many arguing for a more stereotypical tourist image of a Māori warrior in a fighting pose.
