Hannah Kidd is one of the most distinctive voices in New Zealand sculpture.

Her works demonstrate an uncanny ability to capture the essence of her subjects. Kidd’s fundamental mastery of representational disciplines – anatomical accuracy, portrayal of character, personality, animal spirit, bodily disposition and so on – is almost without parallel in New Zealand sculpture. She also has an eye for social values and mores, speaks with a rural vernacular which is deeply informed by observation, participation and a noticeably wry sense of humour.

In The Race Kidd has turned her attention to the gallops. Kidd uses motion as a dramatic device. Nine horses and riders battle their way to a result. Kidd clearly understands the subtle differences at a race meeting between winning and losing, between being first and last. The horses are running flat out, the jockeys are working using all their individual skills and styles. It is a battle, fought everyday on the racecourses around the country. All spoils to the victor, all reward to those who picked the result and backed the winner!