Emily Narbey
Ngā Rau o Aotearoa (Leaves of Aotearoa)
acrylic paint, 2025
Emily Narbey has given us a little patch of nature in the innercity.
I’m not sure where the inspiration for this work came from… back in 2022 my dad’s cancer was diagnosed as terminal and I guess as a kind of parting gift he got me an iPad to help me carry on with my creative endeavours. As a whānau we spent many days next to his bedside stuck in the Covid ward of Nelson Hospital and over one or two of those days I sat with him and created designs on my iPad while he rested. One of these designs was ‘Ngā Rau o Aotearoa.’
I guess I was wanting to make something that felt vibrant and joyful and had a deep connection to Te Taiao and this is what came to mind! I’d already painted another Chorus box on the corner of Tipahi and Motueka St that was all things floral, and flowers get included everywhere and I wanted to pay tribute to the humble leaf. I also have a core memory of painting freshly picked leaves with my mum when I was a young kid, so I think that had an influence too.
This isn’t the first time I’ve painted this design in a public space, you can also find one very similar on Stanley Crescent, also through Chorus. Dad passed away not long after I’d finished the design, but it holds a special place in my heart knowing that I got to show him the initial design and then not long after got to etch it into Nelson’s landscape.
Emily also designed the Pride mural – ‘He Ātaahua Tātou Katoa (We are all beautiful)’ that is displayed on the bike shelter on Trafalgar Street, outside Civic House. This piece was commissioned by NCC and the Nelson Arts Council and celebrates the queer community of Whakatū.
Nelson is my home. I was born and raised here and have been living back here since 2019. It’s such a cool thing and such a privilege to have pieces of my art scattered across my home. It’s awesome to think that I’ve contributed something to this beautiful community.
I’ve always loved being creative and over the years that’s spanned across countless arts and crafts, never really settling on just one thing.
I love the community feel of Whakatū and all that’s on offer here! Forming deep connections with fellow Nelsonians through shared passions is right up there.
Huge thanks to NEL (Nelson Electricity Limited) for supporting our artists to transform their boxes!
