Why Seven Whales?

The power of seven.

This page is about why the work is formed around seven whales — not a visual catalogue of the whales.

The idea behind the number

Seven creates balance, meaning and story.

Compositionally, it is easier and more visually satisfying to compose elements of odd numbers in a work of art.

For Whale Song, seven whales allows the artwork to feel like a complete family pod, while creating movement, rhythm and balance across the installation.

The individual whale stories and the full legend are carried in our books. This page explains why the number seven sits at the heart of the sculpture.

Read the Legend Explore the Books

Cultural and symbolic connections

Seven is a number found across art, mythology, faith and human imagination.

In art

Odd-numbered groupings are often more visually satisfying because they create movement, asymmetry and a natural pathway for the eye.

In Māori mythology

There is an ancient legend of the Seven Whales among Ngāi Tahu Matawhaiti, a hapū of Ngāti Kahungunu, explaining how hills east of Wairoa came to be.

Across cultures

Seven appears in the days of the week, colours of the rainbow, continents, ancient wonders, heavens and many spiritual traditions.

The detailed whale characters, names and stories are intentionally kept within the Whale Song books and educational material, where they can be experienced in full.

Take Home the Story