A portrait collection by Lana Kingsbeer

Āta — Held in Light

A lifetime collection of twelve oil portraits honouring people who hold their communities together in Te Tai Tokerau. Painted slowly, one or two a year. Each begins with a relationship, never a commission.

2 of 12 portraits completeKororāreka, Bay of IslandsGuardian enquiries by invitation

Becoming a guardian View the portraits

About the collection

The people in this collection are not chosen for status or recognition, but for who they are: their character, their contribution to others, and the way they are held within their communities.

There is no application or commission process. Each sitter is invited by the artist, often over time, and with the support of their whānau. Together the portraits form a living archive of people whose presence and stories carry meaning beyond themselves.

Āta — to listen with care,
to think with intention,
to speak with honesty,
and to move gently through the world.

Invited, never commissioned

Sitters are approached through relationship and with the blessing of their whānau.

Held together

The collection is shown at Toi Tū, Haratu Marae in Kororāreka, and returns there as one body of work.

Fully documented

Every portrait carries its sitter’s story, a record of its making, and a signed certificate of provenance.

The portraits

The collection so far

No. 1 · Āta — Held in Light

Te Kaitiaki

Makarita Te Nāna Howard

Fourteen years before this portrait was painted, I had a vision: the face of a mature Māori woman, cloaked in feathers, with a quiet yet powerful presence. I did not know who she was, but the feeling stayed with me, as if I was being called.

Years later, after moving to the Bay of Islands, I attended a rāhui proclamation at Te Rāwhiti. I felt the same unmistakable energy, turned and said, “She’s here.” As a woman stepped forward to lead the karanga, I knew it was her. That woman was Makarita Te Nāna Howard.

Te Kaitiaki carries the essence of a kuia, a guardian of people, knowledge and a way of being. It reflects the values of āta: to listen carefully, think with intention, speak with care, and move through the world with awareness.

Read the full story of Te Kaitiaki →

He Wāhine Toa: oil portrait of Wini Williams in a plum top and pounamu breastplate, with a softer image of her wearing a feathered kākahu behind — He Wāhine Toa — “Kuia” · oil on canvas · 850 × 590 mm · 2026

No. 2 · Āta — Held in Light

He Wāhine Toa — “Kuia”

Wini Williams

Aunty Wini is a beloved figure in Kororāreka: a woman of warmth, wisdom, resilience and deep community connection. Born in 1936 at Rāwhiti and raised by her grandfather, Matutaira Rewha, her early life was shaped by te reo Māori, rural simplicity and a strong sense of whānau. Orphaned young, she was nurtured within her wider family and learned to move between te ao Māori and te ao Pākehā with quiet grace.

From home help in Kaitāia to waitressing at the Duke of Marlborough Hotel, she went on to become a schoolteacher, one of few Māori women of her time to do so. She taught across Aotearoa, including pioneering work with children with special needs, and was known for reaching those who needed it most, always with aroha and patience.

With her husband Trevor Williams, a teacher and community leader, she raised a family and gave deeply to every community they were part of, from Waikare to Gisborne, before returning home to Russell.

She wears Hina Mārama, a pounamu kōuma carved by William Heta, named for the moon at the moment light breaks through cloud. Around her rests the kākahu Rangimarie Tamanako by Terri Cottier.

The collection register

Twelve portraits. A lifetime’s work.

When complete, Āta will hold twelve portraits. Each new sitter is invited only when the relationship is right, so the collection grows slowly and will not be repeated.

ITe Kaitiaki

IIKuia

IIITo come

IVTo come

VTo come

VITo come

VIITo come

VIIITo come

IXTo come

XTo come

XITo come

XIITo come

The register
No.	Portrait	Sitter	Year	Guardian
I	Te Kaitiaki	Makarita Te Nāna Howard	2025	Founding Guardian place available
II	He Wāhine Toa — “Kuia”	Wini Williams	2026	Founding Guardian place available
III	In progress	To be announced	—	Founding Guardian place reserved
IV – XII	Future portraits	By invitation	—	—

The register is kept by the artist. Each entry matches a numbered certificate of authenticity and provenance (ĀTA-01, ĀTA-02 …). Guardians are named here only with their consent; otherwise the work is listed as “Private collection”.

For collectors

Becoming a guardian

Collectors of Āta are guardians rather than buyers. You own the painting; it keeps its place in the story. A small number of works are entrusted to guardians, by private conversation with the artist.

As guardian you receive

The original oil painting, signed
A certificate of authenticity and provenance
The sitter’s story and the story of the painting’s making, in print
Photographs and film of the work in progress
Your name in the collection register, if you wish
An invitation to each full-collection exhibition

The understanding we share

The artist keeps copyright and the right to reproduce the image
The work may be lent back, occasionally and with generous notice, to exhibit with the full collection
For any loan, the artist arranges and covers transport, handling and insurance
Each portrait is offered only with the consent of the sitter and their whānau

Founding Guardians

The first three portraits are reserved for Founding Guardians, recognised by name for as long as the collection exists.

Price on application. Collectors outside New Zealand are welcome: professional crating and insured international shipping are arranged from the studio.

Make a private enquiry Download the prospectus (PDF)

No financial return is promised. What is offered is a work of meaning, a real connection to its making, and a place in something that may gain significance over time.

See the collection

Toi Tū, Haratu Marae

Āta — Held in Light is shown at Toi Tū, Kororāreka Marae Art Exhibition, 6 November 2026 – 5 March 2027.

About Toi Tū