The Single Object

Kerry Ann Lee looks at the enduring appeal of Chinese typeface and letterpress design in the digital age.

Watch | This set of heavy lead typeface has a fascinating story to tell about the history of Chinese New Zealanders.

John Scott broke barriers for Māori architecture – and paved the way for future generations of Māori architects like Jade Kake.

Video | John Scott’s use of pou in his modernist designs helped bring two architectural worlds together.

Every stitch of Lema Shamamba's embroidery tells a part of her story – and brings her closer to her homeland.

Video | It’s embroidery, but not as you know it.

The 1994 chainsaw attack on the pine wasn't a simple act of vandalism – it was an act of protest informed by centuries of history.

Video | 'You're in a dangerous place here,' Mike Smith warned a group of teenagers. 'I'm about to drop this tree, and it’s gonna fall on your car.'

Five ordinary objects, five incredible stories.

In her love for the Christchurch Town Hall, Jessica Halliday revels in the history, allure and power of its key material: concrete. 

Bronwyn Holloway-Smith shares her obsession with the 30,000km long Southern Cross Cable and the effect it's had on our national identity. 

In a shed at the foothills of the Southern Alps, Peter King has made special lathe cuts of recordings by an eclectic array of musicians.

James Dann explores Christchurch's ties to the heroic age of Antarctic exploration, and embarks on his own journey of discovery in pursuit of a pair of skis.

Madeleine Chapman explores the beauty and purpose of Tuvalu art, and meets one of its foremost creators, Lakiloko Keakea.

Emma Ng examines the once lost Chinese typeface used to print the New Zealand Chinese Growers’ Monthly Journal.