Tea towel, 'Christchurch Sure to Rise'

This tea towel features the most famous symbol of Christchurch - the Anglican Cathedral at the heart of Cathedral Square. In the Canterbury earthquakes of 22 February and 13 June 2011 the Cathedral lost its tower and famed stained glass Rose Window (hence the word 'munted' at the bottom of the image).

The designer of this image, Rebecca Lovell-Smith, is a Lyttelton resident who lost her historic home and business premises (God Save the Queen) in the Canterbury earthquakes of 2010 and 2011. But through her design work she has been able to adapt and survive. She has printed the 'Sure to Rise' image on tea towels, postcards and prints. The tea towel in particular is a useful domestic object.

To many, the broken Cathedral is the key symbol of devastation. Whole images of the Cathedral express Christchurch's determination to restore and/or rebuild it and the city. Rebecca's image expresses this desire through appropriating the design of the famous Edmonds baking powder tin ('Sure to Rise') with the directive to be strong - 'Kia Kaha'. In addition, Edmonds is an iconic and long-standing New Zealand business which began in Christchurch.

'Kia Kaha' and 'munted' have become powerful and familiar words to Cantabrians as they negotiate the damaged landscape and city streets.