TAIWHETUKI
Whare whakamataku o Whiro Ariki (Lord Whiro’s House of Horrors)
An exhibition by Adym Kohi
In the subterranean underworld of Rarohenga there is a place where the putrescence of death is home. Where spirits of the dead can be destroyed. TAIWHETUKI.
It is the domain of Whiro-te-Tipua, the loathsome son of Ranginui and Papatūānuku.
Taiwhetuki is a labyrinth of horrors and decay, stretching its wicked, reeking tunnels through the underworld, each crevice writhing with earthly and supernatural manifestations of evil.
From his throne, the dark master conjures plagues and sickness, devious black magic, and seething tides of misfortune, all sent to drown the living.
His messengers come as creatures that bear disdain, lizards, bats, insects, and carrion feasting birds. They are his eyes, ears, and voice on earth.
In his wharekai, he feeds constantly on the flesh and souls of the dead, growing bigger with every soul funnelled down his woesome gullet.
When Lord Whiro has consumed his fill and grown strong enough to escape his abyss in Rarohenga, he will erupt from the earth to devour every living thing and plunge the world in to ghastly eternal darkness.
His sibling and only ally, mighty Ruaumoko, the Lord of all disaster, of volcanoes and earthquakes, will herald his coming.
TAIWHETUKI is the second instalment of ‘Kohi o te Taniwha, and other tales of despair
Adym Kohi is an artist of Māori and Anglo-Celtic descent based in the Waikato region of Aotearoa. Born and raised in the Bay of Plenty among the sulfuric miasma of Rotorua, he grew up inspired by the many archaic myths and legends of the land, greater Aotearoa, and the vast ancient world beyond.
A lifelong love of horror and storytelling has shaped these inspirations to form his unique collections of dark fantasy art.
The Nancy Caiger Gallery is open 11am-2pm from Wednesday to Saturday. If you’d like to visit this exhibition outside of these opening hours, please email [email protected]