Robert Jahnke, Roimata, 2024. Image credit: Norm Heke

Roimata by Robert Jahnke is an exhibition about the collusion between text and image that begs us to reflect, not only on our past, but also our present and our future as citizens of the world.

‘Roimata’ means ‘tear’ while ‘roimata toroa’ is a Māori pattern referencing albatross tears: misfortune and disaster. At the heart of the exhibition is Te Tomokanga o te Ua, the portrait of the rain, which takes its name from the Heone Tuwhare’s poem ‘Rain’; inviting multi-sensual engagement with rain. In ‘Roimata,’ the weeping expands beyond our mistreatment of the environment to our inhumane treatment of one another, inviting us to weep for those subjected to the tyranny of ideological suppression and oppression.