There's a particular feeling when you walk into a home and see a pohutukawa in full crimson bloom on the wall, or a fantail caught mid-flit above the fireplace. It says something no imported print ever can: this is a New Zealand home.
Kiwiana wall art celebrates the icons we grew up with - our native birds, our coastal trees, the shapes and stories of New Zealand. And when those icons are cut in steel, they carry a permanence that suits them. These aren't posters that fade or canvases that curl. They're pieces that hang around for the long haul, indoors or out.
Here's a guide to the icons in Lisa's kiwiana collection, what they mean, and how to choose the right piece for your space - or for a Kiwi far from home.
Nothing says a New Zealand summer like pohutukawa flowering along the coast. Lisa's pohutukawa pieces capture those unmistakable blooms in red and green powder-coated steel - a burst of December on your wall all year round. They're especially loved as gifts for Kiwis living overseas, where a pohutukawa on the wall is a little piece of home that never wilts.
The koru - the unfurling fern frond - is one of New Zealand's most recognised forms, symbolising new life, growth and harmony. It's a shape that works beautifully in steel: clean, sculptural, and meaningful without saying a word. A koru piece suits new homes, new chapters and new arrivals, which is why it's one of Lisa's most-gifted designs.
Our birds are the personalities of the New Zealand bush, and each brings its own character to a wall. The tui - bold, songful, a little bit cheeky. The fantail (piwakawaka) - friendly and quick, often seen as a companion on bush walks. The kereru - the heavyweight of the bush with its unmistakable whoosh. And the huia feather - a treasured symbol of what we've lost and what we protect, rendered quietly in matte black steel.
Bird silhouettes work singly as a statement or grouped as a flock across a hallway or outdoor wall. Matte black reads modern and architectural; corten develops a warm rust patina that glows against timber fences.
Matariki - the star cluster whose midwinter rising marks the Maori New Year - has become one of New Zealand's most meaningful celebrations: a time to remember, to gather, and to look ahead. Lisa's Matariki wall art marks the occasion in gold steel, a subtle, year-round nod to reflection and renewal. These pieces are released in limited runs, made to mark the occasion rather than merchandise it.
Beyond the icons, kiwiana lives in our landscapes: flax seed heads, fern fronds, waves and coastal curves. These quieter forms suit homes that want the New Zealand feeling without a literal symbol - texture and movement drawn from the places we love.
Some of these forms - the koru, Matariki - carry deep meaning in Maori culture. Lisa isn't Maori, and her work isn't presented as Maori art: these pieces are her own interpretations of the natural forms and shared national symbols of New Zealand, made with genuine respect for the cultures that give them their meaning. If you're looking for taonga created by Maori artists, we'd warmly encourage you to seek out and support Maori makers too - there is extraordinary work being made across the country.
Every piece is designed by Lisa and made in our Auckland workshop from premium NZ steel - as it has been since 2007, across more than 50,000 pieces. That matters for kiwiana especially: icons of this place, made in this place, built to last in this place.
Browse the full kiwiana wall art collection
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