List of Works M to O
Manaia Stories from the north speak of sacred birdlike dinosaurs that were hunted by the old Maori. Rock carvings show they lived many centuries ago. Today we see them as family taonga.
2023 Size 5Ocm x 6Ocm Acrylics on Canvas
Matador's Tea Party a celebration of memories pouring cups of tea for the family at the Pa. The fun and laughter mixed with traditions and customs swirl around sweetened teapots ready to pour for visitors. No bigger joy than waiting on our koroua and kuia who might sometimes give us whakapapa stories in return.
2024 Size 7Ocm x 65cm Acrylics on Canvas
Matariki the Sisters A diamond whakapapa of strong women who know who they are and where they come from these are my nannies aunties and mum. Mum's uncles and brothers the sunbeams inbetween but all steeming from the awa and pa energies of Awahou's Hakopa bloodline. From the first old Jacob to the last, Papa Hehe who could reach the stars in his visions of threading eternal knowledge. Our minds are stimulated with their influencing perspectives of a rainbow family with changing talents in a growing pakeha world.
2002 Size 1.2cm x 9Ocm Acrylics on Canvas
Mauri Casting Mauri is like casting a net into your own soul for the lifeforce to achieve a goal. Colour is a way of describing the lifting feeling of inner connection with all surroundings when mauri is present. Our lifeforce can reach across time to connect with mokopuna through the breath of wind we call intuition.
2021 Size 3Ocm^ Acrylics on Canvas
Me Myself & I Self portrait of knowing who I am and where I come from. The family settee is covered in patterned cloaks to represent my bloodlines. My feet stand on two canoes one pakeha the other Maori. Behind me is the wairua of being raised with whakapapa and the maori bible Paipera Tapu. My siblings surround me and my skills are displayed on my arms like tattoos.
2024 Size 75cm x 9Ocm Acrylics on Canvas
Medicine Bowl Describing Rongoa the maori medicine where to heal the body includes healing the spirit. Feeling the spirit signs from within for me and many others means a call back home to Awahou.
2025 Size 75cm x 6Ocm Acrylics on Canvas
Medicine Bailer the healing properties of a canoe bailer and the wairua of its carvings tell an old old story of navigation from Tane not the carver. The carver becomes the medium of Tane's spirit art as the tree is his eternal life to us.
2021 Size 5Ocm x 6Ocm Acrylics on Canvas
Medicine Tree and Bailer the wairua of healing properties and strengths from a tree influence which part is shaped into a canoe bailer. Smaller bailers were made from crossing branches but the oldest ceremonial ones were taken from the hull of a trunk during the canoe building stage and blessed separately before shaping. The circular shape of the ceremonial bailer ensures the knowledge of its older tree circles remain fluent in and out of water.
2021 Size 5Ocm x 6Ocm Acrylics on Canvas
Medicine Woman the art of weaving watercress underwater is what Maori call holding onto our Maoritanga in a colonised world. Many mokopuna overseas suppress the Maori perspective in a super pakeha world while others weave the rei through life by returning home to connect with that very perspective.
2022 Size 75cm x 6Ocm Acrylics on Canvas
Mokopuna the diamond mouth of our river represents the heart of the wharenui and the living souls of Tawakaheimoa's family descendants to come. Mum always went to the side of the mouth of our awa to karakia rather than the open mouth itself as she knew to humble herself in his woken presence.
2023 Size 5Ocm x 75cm Acrylics on Canvas
Mountain Weaving The conversations of a blanket weaving mother. I saw mum as a vessel weaving the blanket back to Mokoia as she wove her northern cousins with Rangiwewehi threads. Each side of her the spirit mountains of both Tai Tokerau and Te Arawa rise above all other mountains as she used karakia and tone to awaken mountain medicine for me.
2024 Size 75cm x 6Ocm Acrylics on Canvas
Mum The children sit and listen to their kuia recount her stories of old ways and beings from our past as life leads us forward. Her oral knowledge seeping into the walls of our home waiting to be remembered through my mahi. Beneath her the knowledge of whakapapa back to Rangiwewehi himself as I watched mum look out the window in old age missing her home Awahou. Locked away in her cupboards of outspoken knowledge and thoughts both wharenui and family by the river remained everpresent.
2008 Size 1.4cm x 1.2cm Acrylics on Canvas
Musical Trees captures the life force of Maori around their musical instruments. Most were taught by simply watching a family member perform at the drop of a hat. For me it was the talented voices in mum's recollections of her younger brothers Isaac Hema and Wylie and how the last two really enjoyed a party. Uncle Hema especially could captivate his audience with such melody and charm mum called his voice as beautiful as a harp.
2022 Size 5Ocm x 75cm Acrylics on Canvas
Nanny Taururua The northern matriarchs of weaving arranged marriages. Poppa's first two wives were from the same northern family where the unions were an agreed step of peace from unforgotten tribal wars where many suffered. One union wasn't enough for Hehe Hakopa he sealed it with his son continuing the tradition of a northern bride. Listening to mum talk about her whakapapa I could see the influencing line of Te Ao Tapu the vow of sacred thread in my own girls tribal mix from their father's Ngati Hine genes of his nan.
2024 Size 6Ocm x 75cm Acrylics on Canvas
Nanny Ma The womb of feminine wairua and the guardians of Hine Ahu One the first woman who walked the earth. Auntie Kato's wairua played a big part in mum's stories as they were both raised by Papa Bob. Mum said he would be in the next bed to them sitting up under his sheet mumbling karakia of old while the sisters listened in their shared single bed with auntie lulu and exchanged knowledge they overheard.
2025 Size 6Ocm x 75cm Acrylics on Canvas
Nanny Rati's Kitchen A house of karakia and sacred whenua to mums Hakopa family. Poverty was a word others used to describe Maori but for mum it brought such a beautiful meaning to what is a good family.
2022 Size 6Ocm x 75cm Acrylics on Canvas
Nanny Singer Our grandaunt from the north was not only taller than most of the men in Awahou but more confident in knowing her own mana around them. Her grace for such a size reminded me of the powerful wings of a swan when taking flight. When she visited the pa they drove her bus right up to the wharenui door so she didn't have to walk far. Some raised their eyebrows when our northern relatives came to visit while we laughed at the way they treated Awahou like their own old home.
2024 Size 6Ocm x 75cm Acrylics on Canvas
Nga Taonga O Nga Tupuna The living and intangible treasures of our Maori ancestors. What I see sometimes when I come home to the Pa to dream was always translated by mum later when we returned up north. She used karakia and soaked kawakawa leaves over my head to send them back her messages blocking their access to her living world.
2017 Size 9Ocm x 75cm Acrylics on Canvas
Ohomairangi The world of accepting another universe for the ever existing spirit realm of our Maori beginnings. Ohomairangi and a tribal canoe at the crossroads of a new seed on land from our navigational skills. Standing up in the earth a waka facing the sky and buried with karakia calling back to Hawaikiinui. The wood of our buried waka letting our tupuna know they had reached the promised land of Kupe.
2012 Size 6Ocm x 75cm Acrylics on Canvas
Oranga The old stone statue from Mokoia island is a sacred living taonga of Rangiwewehi going back to those who worshipped fertility in ancient form. The island is silent when the stone is moved onto land to speak for the old chiefs of our motu.
1997 Size 60 cm x 90cm Acrylics on Canvas
