Louie Zalk-Neale (Ngāi Te Rangi, Pākehā) is a trans takatāpui artist who creates with the transformative power of body adornment. The practice of twisting taura tī kōuka (cabbage tree fibre rope) has become a central pou in Zalk-Neale's mahi toi, forming intricate wearable objects and kākahu.
An invocation of the pūrakau of Ngake and Whātaitai, the taniwha of Te Whanganui-a-Tara.
An excerpt from a longer work first exhibited at Artspace Aotearoa's New Artists Show in 2020.