Daniel Mickleson, Guardians of the Aurora (SEASCAPE 2026)

A rare aurora event lit the west coast of New Zealands North Island in vivid curtains of pink and green. In the foreground, the rock formations known as the Three Sisters stand as guardians of the shoreline, while the sacred Taranaki Maunga rises in the distance. Within te ao Māori (the Māori world view), such natural features are not just landscapes but ancestral presences, carrying the role of guardianship. Beneath the aurora, earth, sky, and ancestry converge in a moment both fleeting and timeless.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.