Hard Graft was inspired by the Cape Reinga lighthouse, which has long assisted boats passing the northwesternmost tip of the Aupōuri Peninsula. There, in Māori tradition, spirits are said to depart the living world and journey back to Hawaiki. Further down the Cape, a single pōhutukawa tree, known as Te Aroha, clings to the rocks, marking the gateway to Te Hinenui o te Po, the underworld. In Oliver Stretton-Pow’s work, these symbols are synthesised in a homage to this special place. His lighthouse has sprung roots, pushing it out of the earth.

Oliver Stretton-Pow (b.1968) is a Waiheke local who describes his work as ‘making history’. In 1992, he graduated from Claremont School of Art in Perth, and, in 2004, completed his MFA at Elam School of Fine Arts, Tāmaki Makaurau. He exhibits regularly in public-sculpture festivals, such as Sydney’s Sculpture by the Sea and the Gold Coast’s Swell Sculpture.

On his win Stretton-Pow commented, “My selection for the Sculpture on the Gulf 20th anniversary exhibition, curated by Bret Graham and Robert Leonard and the opportunity to exhibit alongside some of the most significant artists in Aotearoa is a landmark in my career. To hear that my work has resonated with the public and been voted as the people’s choice is affirmation that the years of research and commitment to my practice is bearing fruit. I wish to say thank you to the Curators for including my work in Perpetual Guardian Sculpture on the Gulf 2024, as well as thank you to the management team, sustained efforts of the volunteers and installation crew and, of course, to all those who voted in this year’s event.”