As a young creative, I’ve always had a fascination for ancestral wood carving in their innate ability to move me emotionally and physically.

An artform that has influenced my aesthetic values throughout my creative journey of cultural and spiritual restoration.

Opposite to the painting process where paint is applied in fine layers to create dimension – the carving process involves removing the layers to create form and space.

Traditionally, this artform was reserved for men only, so to adapt this artform in a contemporary reality, I used the paint brush as my chisel.

This is reflcted in the use of carving patterns found throughout my painting compositions.

The hand to hand combat weapons pictured here in collaboration with talented photographer Wes Barwell, are the result of my determination to learn this creative process.

Having sourced a couple of raw timber slabs from the Totara North Mill, my opportunity to learn the basic techniques of shaping form in wood presented itself to me.

With mentor Tony Pearson to learn from and hundreds of years of fine-tuned genetic imprint to source from, I took to the new medium straight away – and it took to me. Finding a state of peace that making weaponry as armour, surprisingly brings.

Here is a glimpse at the fruits of my labour that later on became the inspiration for a collection of painting also shown below.

I like to refer to this collection of painting as ‘Weapons of mass construction’.

The kotiate and patu represented here, symbolise the divine and generous womb of Papatuanuku. They echo a time when women where regarded as potent vessels of regeneration – for through our bodies’ birth, life and death must pass. In this expansive world of vision, imagination and intuition, the feminine energy is profuse, active, abundant.

The use of the crochet doyley symbolise the domestication of the goddess. They also reference our nannies who decorated their homes with doyleys, symbols of a nostalgic past.

The vigilant Ruru (Morepork) is a symbol of Kaitiakitanga (guardianship) that also represents the spiritual realm associated with night.

The Ruru in this context represents the wairua of those passed, taking their final journey to Rerenga wairua – Cape Reinga. 

The use of traditional kowhaiwhai represents bloodlines. Our connection to the natural world (tai ao), Whakapapa (geneology) Whenua (land) Tupuna (ancestors) and Atua (gods).  From earth to sky this bloodline is direct and unwavering, a spiritual umbilical cord that tethers me to past, present and future.

To view the slideshow, hover over the image for arrows.