At Fort Takapuna, overlooking Auckland's harbour, the earth sculpture Grass Roots occupied land above an underground artillery store built in anticipation of foreign invasion during WWII. At NZ Sculpture Onshore, an exhibition supporting New Zealand Women's Refuges (housing women and children escaping domestic violence), the artwork sheds light in this public space on a growing need for protection in the private realm.

Comprising positive and negative elements, Grass Roots holds equal proportions of circle and square, with their associated female and male symbolism. Initially, the inner square contains and isolates the circle of lawn which continues to grow at the same rate as the grass outside the square. With time, the interior circle is slowly diminished as the encasing exposed roots flourish and fill the void.

'Roots' relate to source, origin, place of domicile, and sex; and the term 'grass roots' refers to a groundswell movement for change.

Exhibited NZ Sculpture Onshore 2006