The title of this exhibition references the well-known and beloved whakataukī ‘E kore au e ngaro, he kākano I ruia mai i Rangiātea’ (I shall never be lost, I am a seed sown from Rangiātea.)

The first seed of this series was sown with Frances’s early metal kōwhai leaf necklaces with their tiny carefully positioned petals. Following on from this beginning, she was invited to take part in an exhibition based around Whanganui’s delightful ‘Kōwhai Park’. She knew then that kōwhai seeds should be part of her making.

Small elements are repeated at scale creating something quite striking and beautiful. Through this repetition she draws attention to a technique or material that is often ignored or unappreciated. She sees the potential and beauty of ‘the small’ is integral to her jewellery making.