Tōkia, tōkia | Painting | by Sean Beldon

Tōkia, tōkia is an original work by New Zealand artist Sean Beldon, created as part of his 2026 solo exhibition Loveletters from Nowhere. Part Two: The Quiet.

Location: Waimārama Beach (2024)

I was taking photos of Motu-o-Kura (Bare Island)on Waimārama Beach when a trio of oystercatchers swooped in and flew up and down the tide line before settling on the sand. Watching these birds, I wondered if there was a story to be told. With a little bit of research  I had my script, set, and cast - almost like we had to meet that stormy day in Hawke’s Bay. 

This is what I found: When the tōrea (variable oystercatcher) cried ‘keria, keria’ (dig, dig), it was seen as a sign of an approaching storm – in other words, dig for shellfish before the storm comes. After a storm, the bird is said to call ‘tōkia, tōkia’, meaning that calm has settled and all is well. © Ngā manu – birds by Kelly Keane-Tuala, teara.govt.nz

This work occupies the emotional territory Sean is known for, quiet tension, layered meaning and an image language that rewards sustained looking. Working in oil, Sean builds surfaces that feel simultaneously intimate and expansive, personal and universal. The Quiet as a body of work explores themes of absence, memory, longing and stillness through a visual vocabulary that is precise, restrained, and deeply felt.

Medium: Oil on canvas

Dimensions: 1525mm x 1010mm

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