A London Wahine arose during the development of Ray Ching’s major composition Song of the Huia (the expatriate’s dream), begun in early 2025. Seeking a contemporary Māori presence within that larger narrative painting, Ching contacted the Ngāti Rānana London Māori Club and was introduced to Sade Gilbert as his model. Initial sittings produced drawings and oil sketches for the larger work, yet Ching soon felt compelled to paint the sitter independently, capturing “Sade as Sade rather than as a model.” The result stands as both an autonomous portrait and companion to the wider project.

During a later studio session, casual conversation revealed an extraordinary genealogical link to the huia histories Ching had long researched. Sade Gilbert is a direct descendant of Captain Gilbert Mair, the collector who worked with Walter Buller in the Wairarapa, and whose family connections also extend to Laura Mair, whose rare huia drawings are now held by Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. This unexpected discovery gave the portrait deeper resonance, connecting contemporary identity with histories of the huia, colonial encounter, and artistic record.

In the present oil, Ching balances refined naturalistic observation with visible underdrawing and passages left deliberately unresolved, allowing process and memory to remain on the surface. A London Wahine captures both the immediacy of a studio encounter and the layered associations that emerged through chance conversation, linking past and present through genealogy, narrative, and the enduring story of the Huia.