Toi Mauri is a restorative Maori Visual Art experience: For us, about us, as us.

Designed to support He Whare Tapa Wha – our spiritual, mental, emotional and physical well-being, through the practice of Toi Mauri.

Toi Mauri began in 2018, initiated by parents with artistic Rangatahi looking for creative support and artistic mentoring.

I responded to this call and began providing afterschool sessions in the Kaeo playground where the Toi Mauri kaupapa took root.

A generous local came upon us one summer day and offered us a space at her eco centre building where we based ourselves for a year. This was a warm welcome with the colder months approaching. However, this space became unavailable during the covid restrictions, closing its doors permanently to the public.

Thankfully with donations from parents, we could afford to rent the Church Hall in Kaeo, but this became too costly and unsustainable.

Our current venue is provided to us with support from Te Runanga o Whaingaroa. This has been a blessing and has enabled the Toi Mauri kauapapa to continue to inspire another roopu of Whangaroa artists.

Toi Mauri 2020 – 2024

Toi Mauri reflects on our Whangaroatanga for creative context, visual content and spiritual connection.

Toi Mauri also aims to equip and encourage our Ranagatahi to participate in community projects, events, exhibitions and festivals by exposing them to a range of visual art disciplines and techniques.

Parents supportng their ranagatahi through the Toi Mauri kaupapa have been a major driving force in keeping this kaupapa alive.

However, during these social economic times, developing funding networks to support the Toi Mauri kaupapa is a necessity. This will enable talented Rangatahi from all walks of life to participate in this kaupapa, as well as developing myself professionally in a rural community where fishing, forestry and farming are the main forms of employment.

The long term goal for Toi Mauri is to build an artist Studio/workshop on whanau whenua at Pupuke for workshops, exhibitions, holiday programmes and wananga.

Follow this link for more Toi Mauri community projects:

Community projects – Aria Designs

Learning content

Speaking in colour

In this context we explore the language of colour and how it is used to express emotional experience from the artist (inward) whilst invoking emotional response from the viewer (outward). We explore the use of colour in the natural world; to signify danger, to attract & repel, to disguise or enhance. We discuss colour vibration, the high and low frequency that each colour emits. We also discuss colour to create atmosphere and ambience. We learn that colour is a powerful form of communication, often used to express feelings when words cannot.

Nga Kaitiaki o Whangaroa

Here we explore Kaitiaki signs and symbols found in our te taiao unique to Whangaroa to inform a body of painting. Here we look to the Whai (stingray) common to the shores of Whangaroa as a symbol of Tangaroa. Using stencils and acrylic paint, the Whai is represented here as our connection to the moana. It is also used to experiment with movement and action on a 1-dimensional, flat surface.

Purakau O Whangaroa

These paintings reference the origin story that describes the terraforming of Whangaroa. Again, we rely on the energy of colour to express this ancient upheaval represented here as a battle of the Maunga. Hot molten lava, fire and brimstone is captured here to describe this geological event. The maunga are painted freehand and the fire texture is created by dragging our paint brushes.

Te Ao Hurihuri

As the koru moves forward, it also returns. Here we explore movement on a flat surface using the koru in acrylic paint as a symbol of our ever-evolving world. The koru in this context also represents our consciousness and cultural identity in a state of constant change. This exercise helps our rangatahi understand that they too are a part of this cycle. Like the whenua under their feet, always moving, shifting, transforming. This is the unspoken lore of nature.

Whenua ki te Whenua

Exploring the land, from the outside in and the inside out. Watercolour techniques are used in this painting process and Taratara is the maunga represented here. We use colour to express mood and atmosphere to connect with our audience and their wairua. The texture of the water colour, it bleeds and runs adding an organic feeling to the painting. We learn we can create layers of colour using diluted water paints. We learn to be discerning. How much water added to the paint is too much, or too little. All of this is important to the painting process.

Tapu and Noa

In these paintings we explore negative and positive to create an optical illusion of 3-dimensional space using black and white acrylic paint. This is an important technique to understand when creating depth, distance and form. A technique our tupuna were masters at and seen in their whakairo (carvings). Tapu represented in black (negative space), noa represented in white (positive space). Once we understand positive and negative space, we can manipulate the 1-dimnesional surface, in paint, pencil and ink effortlessly.

Whakairo pattern

Experimenting with traditional pattern to create new designs, forms and shapes to express a modern visual language that speaks to this generation. Here the merging of past and present is represented here. Rangatahi are given traditional pattern from Ngapuhi to define and refine giving new meaning, new representations in our contemporary space. This is our responsibility as artists. To evolve our art forms so they may speak to the next generation and carry with them our aspirations for the future.

Maramataka o Whangaroa

Explore tohu/symbols that represent our unique maramataka to further understand how its cycle effects our human condition. Again negative and positive space is used here to express this simple concept in relation to our emotional, spiritual and physical well-being. The Ruru is a Whangaroa kaitiaki responsible for guiding wairua to their final resting place at Cape Reinga. All these symbols connect us to our whenua, tupuna and taiao (natural environment) an endless source of creative inspiration.

Aurora

The natural world never fails to provide us with inspiration and awe to draw creatively from. This year’s spectacular aurora was exactly that! Here we capture this cosmic event in acrylic paint. We explore this natural phenomenon for understanding of our universe and cosmic connection.

Matariki

Recycling found objects is another interesting practice that provides interesting results. In this exercise we use doyles and spray paint to represent the stars of Matariki.