Exhibition

Softening the Wētā: Seeing Waiatarua’s Special Species in a New Light

Often described as alien, armoured and uninviting, the tokoriro / Auckland tree wētā is not a creature typically associated with beauty. Sometimes dubbed a cousin of the “God of Ugly Things”, its sharp angles and shelly exterior can make it feel inaccessible at first glance. In Pretty Thing, fibre artist Kendra Stoner invites us to look again.

Created from cotton thread and linen, Pretty Thing is one of 14 works featured in the Special Species Spotlight exhibition, presented by the Pest Free Waitākere Ranges Alliance in partnership with Te Kawerau ā Maki. The campaign pairs local artists with a special species connected to a village or township in the Waitākere Ranges, celebrating local biodiversity through art.

The wētā is Waiatarua’s special species, and Stoner’s response transforms its spiky, prehistoric form into something unexpectedly gentle. By reimagining the wētā through soft fibres and hand-worked threads, the work challenges viewers to move beyond instinctive reactions of fear or dislike and instead approach the insect with curiosity and care.

The contrast between subject and medium is key. The softness of fibre reframes the wētā’s hard exterior, encouraging a deeper appreciation of a species that plays an im- portant ecological role but is often misunderstood or over- looked. In this way, Pretty Thing becomes both an art-work and an act of advocacy.

Special Species Spotlight Upstairs Gallery, Titirangi from Friday 13 February to Sunday 1 March.
All 14 works will be auctioned on Friday 27 February, offering a unique opportunity to support conservation while celebrating the extraordinary — and sometimes unexpected — beauty of the Waitākere Ranges.

Media Contact:-
Michelle Swanepoel,
PFWRA Programme Lead
michelle@pfwra.org.nz
0274 994 596