Tara/White-Fronted Tern

Online bidding ends

Starting price^‡

$700

Bidding

Please sign in if you'd like to place a bid.
It's free and simple to do.

About this item

Tara/White-Fronted Tern - Whatipu’s Special Species

TITLE: Out to the Winds Untainted Kiss

ARTIST: Celeste Strewe

MEDIUM: Watercolour with imitation gold leaf on “lanaquarelle” by Lana hot press paper.

DIMENSIONS: 1110mmHx760mmW

Auckland-born artist and Waitākere local, Celeste Strewe, award-winning for her body and makeup artistry, brings her sculptural eye and attention to detail to this work. The White-fronted Tern (Tara) is highlighted as a vulnerable species, alongside the delicate habitat it depends on. The landscape is depicted from above, reflecting the tern’s perspective and its deep connection to the environment, while the sun, rendered in gold, emphasizes this fragility and leaves a bold, iconic impression. Through her lyrical, imaginative style, Strewe celebrates native species and fragile ecosystems, inviting reflection on our role as kaitiaki.

Online bidding* ends: 12:00pm, 27 February 202612:00pm, Friday 27 February 2026Pacific/Auckland

^‡This item is subject to a reserve price. Should the leading bid at expiry not meet the reserve, the item will not be sold.

*Bidding for this item will continue at a live event, where the highest online bid will become the opening live bid. For details, please see the main auction page description, or contact the auction administrator.

Bids for this item are in New Zealand Dollars.

Bidding

Starting price:

$650^‡

^‡ The price does not meet the reserve