This drawing was inspired by the knitted jumpers made by communities around New Zealand for the Kororā, Little Blue Penguins, following the catastrophic grounding of the container ship MV Rena near Tauranga in 2011.

This event was New Zealand’s worst ever maritime disaster. Although tens of thousands of marine lives were (and still are) affected, among the worst have been the little blue penguins. 

"The idea of the jumpers was to keep the oil-soaked birds warm and prevent preening and ingestion of the toxic substances until they could be put through treatment. Although there are now more practical facilities for the same purpose, I was inspired in 2016 by the idea of the community coming together to help from afar."

• This A4 Print measures 210mm x 297mm.
• Fine Art Print Signed by Tara Cassidy.

Tara Cassidy

Meet Tara, a gifted artist who brings the native wildlife of Aotearoa to life with her intricate pencil drawings. Her work is a breathtaking display of textures and details. Since 2018, she has teamed up with Angie Dennis to bring her stunning pieces to art enthusiasts, and their collaboration has only heightened Tara's extraordinary eye for detail.