In this mahi toi I use the Patu and the Kotiate to symbolise the divine and generous womb – He Whare Tangata (the house of mankind).
They represent potent vessels of regeneration., weapons of mass construction. In the expansive world of imagination and intuition, the feminine/masculine energy is complimentary and expansive.
Crochet doyleys symbolise the domestication of Mana wahine.
The vigilant Ruru is a symbol of Kaitiakitanga, representing the spiritual realm associated with Te Po (night) acknowledging wairua taking a final journey to Te rerenga wairua.
The Ruru is a symbol of spiritual transformation and transcendence, a soul released.
This collection of drawing and painting are the result of playful exploration with the dualities of tapu/noa, black/white, light/dark, negative/positive space, all merging as a fluid, unified whole.
Experimental drawing with spray paint and vivid on paper. I made stencils of patu using both negative and positive space to create the illusion of depth by layering them. This sheet of paper had a water mark through it creating the ripple effect which I liked alot.
Another experimental drawing on paper using stencils this time including the Ruru.
Introducing the doyle which I used as a stencil with spray paint. I really liked the 'printed' effect of the doyle and pleased with the experiments.
This is the first painting inspired by the drawings that I'm extremely pleased with.
Spray paint and vivid marker on canvas
The stencilled patu came up beautifully in this painting. I wanted their shilouettes to descend as well as ascend, eventually transcending the flat 1 dimensional surface to create the illusion of 3 dimensional space. Very pleased with the outcome.
The crochet doyle adds to the nostalga of my grandmother who loved collecting and displaying doyles around her house. In the context of this painting the doyle symbolises domestication, fragility, gentrification and adornment of women.
The kowhaiwhai symbolises bloodline and whakapapa as fluid and profuse. The Ruru represents wairua released.
In this painting I swap the black on white canvas for white on black canvas. The manifestations for these visuals are diverse even when limited to two colours. Discerning that the white canvas has more feminine energy, while the black canvas has more masculine energy.
The black surface with white on top creates a neon light effect, which I like alot.
In this painting I added an extra visual element, the whenua. Using the stencil method I use outlines of our Whangaroa maunga to add another layer of narrative to this collection. The overall combition of doyle, ruru, whenua and patu have created a harmonious painting compositon that inspires and uplifts me artistically.
