Dame Cindy and Lisa Reihana, CNZM for services to the arts
Lisa Reihana is a multi-disciplinary artist. Her large-scale video installation ‘In Pursuit of Venus [infected]’ represented New Zealand at the 2017 Venice Biennale. Her exhibition ‘In Pursuit of Venus [infected]’ was the most visited solo exhibition by a New Zealand artist at the Auckland Art Gallery since 1997, with 49,000 visitors. The exhibition has been displayed in several locations internationally. She created a large bronze sculpture of Ellen Melville which depicts the scales of justice but tipped in favour of women, displayed at the Ellen Melville Centre in Auckland. As part of Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts, Ms Reihana has been the artist in focus in honouring the story of legendary Polynesian explorer Kupe, whose pursuit of the octopus Te Wheke a Muturangi led him to Aotearoa.