This portrait of an endangered NZ bird, the Takahe, and the common sparrow. It is a metaphor of humans in an era of technology where the human condition is overstressed. Rain (red and teal blue paint) streams down the painting evoking a feeling of welcome for the birds in their own environment. Nevertheless, the birds are poised on a plane of potential, at the cusp of the past, this moment and all the possible futures beyond. The alien sci-fi landscape brings to mind the fantasy of childhood images and the possible futures they suggest.This significant piece of art was purchased from the Collection of Roy and Juliet Cowan. These highly regarded Wellington artists are strongly involved in the art and potting community. Brent\'s work has been described as Surrealistic. His symbolic content reflects mostly autobiographical material and scrupulously observed landscapes and simplified forms. His love of nature and the sky and his remarkable draughtsmanship predominate this painting.The late Dr Buck Nin is a highly respected artist of Maori and Chinese descent. Maori symbolism, forms derived from customary carving and kowhaiwhai designs, join with European modes of landscape into a single image. This painting explores the painful process of Maori adapting to modern urban life. It offers the hope of togetherness by melding landform and Maori design.John\'s paintings are not only about Polynesian culture and identity, but also dwell on matters of love and loss that are highly personal and at the same time universal. He creates clouds out of pools of paint and those clouds become anchors for a surreal world. These clouds are seen from side-on, as from a plane, and are the supports for plant life which then create a curtain of trailing vines. They are linked by ladders and pathways that groups of workers struggle to ascend. It is a stage for elaborate ritual works, involving people who struggle to bear a sacrifice. There are signs of death, violence, as well as generation and creativity. It is a collection of drawings and a world of mysterious, puzzling, yet remarkable scenes.The artist\'s own bite sized words are an important starter to Nigels paintings. His distinctive hard- edged style and social commentary is a direct drawing on the slang spoken in NZ. This piece talks about NZs inability to escape the awareness of lurking Development. Development eats into the cliffs, is full of goals, I AMs and kites of ideas flown. The developers wear sunglasses remote from the wood pigeon shown flying above. Development is done in the name of money and creating the illusion of security. The painting is not cynical but rather the reality of the human condition and of town versus country.These sculptures are replicated clay versions of the artist himself in various scales. Each replica is created from the form of the last mould. The shrinkage that occurs questions the notion of I shrink therefore I am and the more you look at yourself, the less you see signalling a removal of self or a denial of the artistic ego.KARL MAUGHAN is a New Zealand artist known for his vibrant, celebratory paintings of gardens that explore the artist’s love of light and colour. In 1986 Maughan graduated with BFA from Elam School of Fine Arts, University of Auckland. Following this he left New Zealand for London where he lived for 10 years. Charles Saatchi became an early collector of his work, and Maughan’s paintings were subsequently included in a number of Saatchi Gallery exhibitions, including Neurotic Realism in 1998 and I Am A Camera in 2001. This work, Plume, was one of three significant works by Maughan that hung in Saatchi’s home. Saatchi regularly turns over his art large collection, and Maughan recently seized the opportunity to buy this key work back. Plume is now on loan to The Museum Hotel on behalf of the artist and Page Blackie Gallery.