Untitled (woman found flayed and wrapped in a threadbare cloak)

Untitled (woman found flayed and wrapped in a threadbare cloak)

This work is from a series of preliminary drawings for a performance / sculptural installation at the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery in May 1987 entitled 'Ma te wahine ka tapu ai to hanga nei, te tangata, ma te whenua kawhai oranga ai / Woman found raped, wrapped in a threadbare cloak'. Ceramic tiles were laid on a bed of sand on the Gallery floor. During the performance the figure of a woman was sculpted in clay, then framed with manuka sticks to indicate tapu. Davies' work is characterised by strongly political content and a passionate content and a passionate exploration of the role of Maori women in contemporary New Zealand art and culture.