Christchurch is the last painting in the series, the Audi Five Cities Showcase and was possibly the most challenging. I wanted the composition to recognize the tragedy of recent events that included enormous physical and emotional separation. Yet this work also needed to capture a unified desire to move forward to overcome the fractures caused by nature and man.

The stylized buildings that dominate the painting represent the strength of the people of Christchurch standing together, while the Al Noor Mosque and Christchurch Anglican Cathedral can be seen adjacent to one another. To the left is the new Te Pae Convention Centre that appears to represent an earthquake damaged building, but I highlighted the design because it shows the braided Canterbury Rakaia River together with the many conversations that this design has encouraged.

In the foreground, the dark empty spaces, the scars, separating the buildings are a recognition of the city land yet to be re-built upon. And the three doors, ajar are invitations to participate in the ongoing Christchurch rebuild as it moves towards embracing a new era.

In the distance the rolling Canterbury plains weave their way toward the Southern Alps, suggesting permanence and sustainability in the face of adversity. - Sandra Turner-Barlow