Basia Smolnicki: Treasure In the Wilderness
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There’s a bay located in the Marlborough Sounds, Totaranui, where Basia’s family and friends gather in the summer holidays. It was originally named by Māori as ata pō meaning ‘early dawn’.
Like ata pō implies, the morning sun rises over Arapawa Island and reflects off the beautiful, still, blue waters of Queen Charlotte Sound. On the sandy beach, shards of argillite in the shapes of small tools can be found amongst the rocks and sand, evidence of historical food gathering and trade. The native bush is regenerating and the place is now alive with birdsong and ground dwelling Weka.
Threading through this special place across Cook Strait is Wellington and Basia’s family history. Having survived Siberian internment camps, and an epic overland journey to Uzbekistan, Basia’s mother boarded a troop ship bringing weary soldiers home and arrived in Wellington in 1944. She was one of 730 Polish refugee children welcomed to this beautiful land.
Her Mother’s story of survival and the special place Basia has made in Totaranui informs this new body of work.