Two striking new Māori public artworks have been unveiled in the heart of Tāmaki Makaurau, transforming one of the city’s busiest transport hubs into a place where mana whenua stories, whakapapa and identity are woven into the everyday journey of thousands of Aucklanders.
The bronze sculptures, Wāhine and Horotiu, were formally blessed during a dawn ceremony led by Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei before being revealed to the public on Wednesday.
Installed above the new Te Waihorotiu Station, the artworks form part of Auckland Council’s wider vision to embed te ao Māori throughout the city’s evolving landscape as the City Rail Link (CRL) prepares to open.
When the underground station begins operating, it is expected to become the busiest railway station in New Zealand, welcoming thousands of commuters and visitors every day.
The first artwork passengers encounter is Wāhine, a 3.7-metre bronze sculpture depicting a Māori woman performing a karanga, the ceremonial call of welcome.
Positioned at the station’s north-eastern entrance, the sculpture is designed so that visitors emerging from beneath the city are greeted as they step into the light of Victoria Street.
Created by acclaimed artists Arekatera (Katz) Maihi (Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, Ngāti Whātua ki Kaipara, Tainui, Te Waiohua, Ngāpuhi) and Beronia Scott (Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei), the artwork celebrates mana wāhine and the enduring role of women in extending manaakitanga through the karanga.
The sculpture’s finely detailed korowai draws inspiration from traditional raranga, with woven textures cast permanently into silicon bronze.
The artists envisioned the work as both timeless and contemporary, acknowledging Māori traditions while welcoming people from every culture into the city.
Further along Victoria Street West stands Horotiu, a dramatic 7.2-metre bronze tuna kūwharuwharu (longfin eel) created by artists Chris Bailey (Ngāti Hako, Ngāti Pāoa, Ngāti Porou, Te Aupouri) and Sally Smith.
The sculpture spirals from the heavens toward the footpath, marking the historic course of the Waihorotiu Stream, an ancestral waterway that once flowed openly through central Auckland before being diverted underground following volcanic activity thousands of years ago.
The stream now runs beneath the city through underground infrastructure, yet for mana whenua its mana and mauri remain undiminished.
The artwork brings to life Horotiu, the legendary kaitiaki of the stream, reconnecting modern Aucklanders with an ancient narrative that has long shaped this place.
Intricate whakairo carved into the tuna’s underside tell the remarkable story of the migration of longfin eels between the rivers of Aotearoa and the deep waters of the Pacific Ocean, where they breed before returning home to complete their life cycle.
The sculpture also reflects the close relationship between tuna and Te Ihorangi, the atua of rain, highlighting the importance of freshwater, environmental stewardship and water security in an era of climate change.
Together, Wāhine and Horotiu create a powerful dialogue.
One welcomes visitors into the city through manaakitanga, while the other grounds them in the whakapapa of the whenua beneath their feet.
The artworks are intended not simply as sculptures, but as living expressions of Māori history and identity that invite people to pause, reflect and engage with the stories of Tāmaki Makaurau.
Auckland Council says the works demonstrate how taonga toi can make visible the histories and identities that have shaped the city for centuries.
Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson says the sculptures celebrate the richness of Māori culture while enriching public spaces for future generations.
Council Head of Arts and Culture Emily Trent says the artworks ensure that everyone passing through the station—whether daily commuters or first-time visitors—is welcomed into a deeper understanding of place, belonging and manaakitanga.
The unveiling forms part of Te Hā Noa, the transformation of Victoria Street and the wider $133 million Midtown Regeneration Project, designed to reshape the precinct surrounding Te Waihorotiu Station ahead of the opening of the City Rail Link.
Throughout the redevelopment, Auckland Council has worked alongside a dedicated mana whenua working group representing Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki, Te Akitai Waiohua, Ngāti Maru, Ngāti Whanaunga and Te Patukirikiri, ensuring Māori narratives remain central to the design of the city’s future.
The project extends beyond public art.
Across the redeveloped city centre, te ao Māori is increasingly reflected through bilingual signage, native planting, paving patterns, architecture, public spaces and transport infrastructure, creating an urban environment that acknowledges both the history and continuing presence of mana whenua.
More Than Art
As Auckland prepares for the opening of the City Rail Link, Wāhine and Horotiu stand as enduring reminders that the city’s future is inseparable from its past.
Every day, thousands of commuters will pass these taonga without needing to visit a museum or gallery.
Instead, they will encounter Māori stories where they belong—in the heart of the city, woven into its streets, its transport network and its identity.
The sculptures invite Aucklanders and visitors alike to remember that beneath the concrete and steel lies Te Waihorotiu, an ancestral landscape whose stories continue to flow through Tāmaki Makaurau.
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