Pukehina artist Teimana Mohi creates art in response to terror attack

Teimana (Des) Mohi with the piece of art he created in response to the Christchurch mosque shootings at Te Puke's Tupeke artspace.

s.co.nz

When the enormity of last month's events in Christchurch hit him, Pukehina's Teimana Mohi had to commit his thoughts to paper.

He was in Te Puke at the time and immediately headed to Tupeke, the community art space run by Leeanne Ryan in the Heritage Walkway.

Leeanne gave him a canvas to work on and he ''roughly sketched out what was in my mind and what I could see,'' he says. ''It didn't take me long.''

''It was only about two days after it happened, and it was stuck in my mind, so I had to put it down.''

Over the course of the next week, he returned to Tupeke each day to finish the piece.

He has a Muslim friend in Christchurch who attends one of the mosques where the shootings took place, but wasn't there on March 15.

Teimana says he often uses his art to process things that are happening around him or in the world - both good and bad.

''Bang! I have to put them on paper through my drawing and painting, rather than keep them inside.''

He says the Sikh parade in Te Puke last October had the same effect on him.

While Teimana has visited Tupeke before, this was the first time he has created anything in the art space.

He says he likes the idea of there being somewhere people can go to be creative, which is one of the reasons Leeanne established the space.

She says she likes the idea that the space was in the right place at the right time for Teimana.

Teimana says he has always known drawing was a strong force in him, ever since as a boy, he drew a cattle dog on the milking shed wall that was so lifelike the cows refused to walk past it.

But he doesn't relish the thought of any formal tuition.

''People try to get me to go to art school, but that would block my mind. It doesn't work for me.''

Tupeke, which means leap, is a free-to-use art space for the community where resources are available. Leeanne hopes it will provide inspiration for people and their arts and crafts.