Dr Fiona Pardington (Ngāi Tahu, Kāti Mamoe and Ngāti Kahungunu) MNZM, Chevalier de l'Ordre Française des Arts et des Lettres, is one of New Zealand’s pre-eminent and most highly regarded photographers. With over three decades experience as an exhibiting artist, she has continued to explore the capacities of photography by attending to what is hidden or unseen in the photograph as much as what it may represent. She brings an awareness of traditional and forgotten objects to contemporary audiences. Pardington is renowned for her ability to breathe the life force into these objects and to raise global awareness of the importance of conservation. In Manawarahi, the huia pair represents the deepest possible love and commitment, as they mated for life. The male’s beak is short and stout for tearing off tree bark, while the female’s is long and curved for picking up grubs, representing their interdependence.