I recently was interviewed by the Sydney Catholic Weekly.
Enjoy the article below!
Christchurch artist Damien Walker (pictured), who painted the iconic Ko Hata Maria, te Matua Wahine o te Atua [Holy Mary, Mother of God], which went on a 12-month hīkoi around Aotearoa-NZ and is now being installed in a national shrine to Mary at St Mary of the Angels in Wellington. Says Damien of the icon: “She’s an image for NZ – she’s half Māori, half Pakeha... Our Lady is calling, challenging – she eyeballs you 100 per cent. She’s challenging the viewer: ‘Do you bring war or do you bring peace to my child? Are you welcome, or are you going to bring war to Christ'?"
Read the article: https://www.catholicweekly.com.au/icon-graces-new-nz-shrine/