The depth and diversity of humankind's relationship with the natural world are explored in a new exhibition Nature Culture at MTG in Hawke's Bay. Local artist Chris Bryant-Toi's work forms a cornerstone of the show. His approach to sculpture is as if to something living, a part of the environment it comes from. Chris also contributes to the preservation and growth of Maori art as an educator, curator and writer, and as a founding member of Te Taumata Art Gallery in Tamaki Makaurau. He credits his whanau - he's a descendant of master carver Hoani Ngatai, amongst many other artist, carvers and creators. His work for Nature Culture has its roots in Te Ara Kahikatea, a public art installation of three eight-metre high sculptures, depicting the ancestral stories of the surrounding landscape and its people.