All
Things Cherished
Our maunga are
symbols for us. Symbols of long gone ancestors, symbols of belonging and
whenua, symbols of life and sustenance. Understanding these things can
make the difference between appreciating the beauty of a maunga, and
that of a cherished maunga.
Above the
maunga I have placed members of my own whanau and they themselves look
up towards the mountains. They are cherished and they themselves
cherish. This painting was based on the waiata of Kingi Ihaka Nau mai,
Piki mai and the words 'It is so good so pleasant for all to think as
one'.
Within the
maunga is a hei tiki. A symbol of life and whakapapa. The tiki is
pulling together different strands and merging them to become one. Love,
honesty and understanding can bring people together, attributes that Sir
Ihaka shared to many. This one cord also represents our umbilical
connection to the whenua.
The takitoru pattern binds one side to the other.
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