The Beauties of Bone

Heru = Comb

Partnered with Tiki

In Bone

At Ake Aotearoa, Taihape

www.akeaotearoa.co.nz

The Gift of Tiki

Tiki

Black and White

Boxed

At Ake Aotearoa

Taihape

www.akeaotearoa.co.nz

Glass Art

Traditional Designs

The Koru & The Hei Matau

In Glass

At Taihape's excellent Maori Gallery

Aotearoa Ake

www.akeaotearoa.co.nz

Tiki Time

Ake, Taihape. April 2009. Ajr

It's an understatement to say the hei tiki is making a big contemporary comeback. As I travel around NZ I'm seeing hundreds of them - in all sizes, in multiple mediums from plastic to felt to resin, glass, greenstone, rubber, wood, paper, ceramics and more. I don't know whether to be excited and pleased or shocked and appalled. I photographed these two cuties - rubber I think - at the very excellent Maori crafts gallery, Ake in Taihape.

Roaming Back Roads

Central North Island, April 2009. Ajr

One of the greatest pleasures I'm having on my current road trip around New Zealand, is driving down sideroads and discovering Maori marae I've never seen before. Whenever I see a marae sign, I turn off, hoping it's not going to be too far off the highway...... mostly because I'm supposed to be travelling to a (self-made) schedule. On this particular day, I went in search of Kuratahi Marae, off the highway just north of Taihape. I drove inland through a beautiful golden-leafed valley for what seemed like miles and miles and miles. I finally came upon the tiny settlement of Mataroa. I hunted for the marae itself and couldn't find it anywhere and finally had to give up. I had, afer all, travelled nearly 15km off the highway. I did stop long enough to snap this cute-as-a-button church though. It's St Georges of Mataroa.

Meet the People - 12

Another in the Series Meet the People – Contemporary Maori Doing Ordinary and Extraordinary Things – Tania Davis (Mokai Patea), owns Ake Aotearoa a colourful gallery of Maori art and crafts in Taihape, in the central North Island with her husband, Mitch Davis and her sister-in-law, Trish Hesketh (above right), who is married to Tania’s brother, Opae Steedman. The four set Ake up in August 2006 as a showcase for local weavers, artists and designers. Tania (above left) was born and bred in Taihape. She’s an iwi representative on Ngati Whitikopeka Runanga and loves promoting matauranga (knowledge/understanding) of Maori art. “We talk about that a lot with visitors who come in here and people love that,” Tania says. “It’s all about showcasing Maori art in a positive environment.” Ake Aotearoa stocks the work of Maori artists from throughout New Zealand, including the Ihi Aotearoa clothing brand, owned by Tania’s nephew, Phil Butler in Palmerston North.

Winiata Marae, Taihape. April 2009. Ajr

Tania’s home marae is Winiata Marae, which is located three kilometres south of Taihape on SH1. It’s always been an active marae that has hosted and supported a wide range of whanau, community, educational and political events. The Wharetupuna Tautahi (above) was erected and completed in 1896 by Tania’s great-great-grandfather, Winiata Te Whaaro, who commissioned Pakeha, William Willoughby to actually build it. In honour of that, it is Willoughby’s head and bust that sits on the apex as tekoteko. Carved sunflowers are depicted on the amo to represent both Pakeha and Maori. Ngati Paki, Ngati Whitikopeka and Ngati Tamakopiri are the hapu groups within Mokai Patea of the Taihape area. www.akeaotearoa.co.nz