In 1980 Douglas Chowns, a Northland artist, was commissioned to create a mural for the New Zealand Council for Educational Research for their 50th anniversary. A unique hand-printed mixed media piece was the result: The Long White Cloud.
This kinetic sculptural piece was inspired by the artist’s life in Northland since 1972 with stars, bones and textiles representing clouds, skies, the human presence of many cultures, and sails driving the nation forward. It hung in the NZCER’s new offices in Education House, a building that has become student accommodation for Victoria University of Wellington.
The artwork is 3 to 4 metres long and 1.5 metre high. Anchored by ropes to carved bones screwed into a surface and paua shell-covered screws, the layered textiles, hand-printed with scrolls and curves, lie over a large white fabric sail, each piece intended to wave and undulate in any breeze.
This mural is now in the textile collection having been bought at auction recently. It is a valuable addition to the studio and will be in display in 2027.