Tūmanako/hope the message in art project

HOME IS HOPE: Street artist Mr G, with the help of, from left, Tehuia Kohatu, Eruera Ingle, Kavahrn Moana-Matete, Honour Ingle, Peraleigh White, Michelle Wilson-Beale and Uruao Fairlie, in front of the mural they painted on the wall of the Tokomaru Bay Four Square. Mr G and his wife were in town for a week, hearing stories from mana whenua and developing ideas for the mural. Picture by Paul Rickard

Hope is the meaning behind the new mural painted by street artist Graham Hoete (Mr G) on the wall of the Tokomaru Bay Four Square.

Mr G visited Tokomaru Bay this week as part of the Tūmanako project — a kaupapa where he identifies small towns across Aotearoa that deserve art work that focuses on what hope means to them, he said.

Tūmanako means hope.

“We broke this up into two visits,” he said. “First we have wānanga with mana whenua on the marae to listen and learn about the stories of the place. Then we extract themes of hope from the stories and use those in the mural.

“Hope is the key messaging here. We want to include themes of hope for the locals so that it visually communicates with them. Murals are constantly communicating a message so we want to communicate hope.”

Mr G said the art was a collaboration between him and local tamariki and rangatahi.

Throughout the week they helped paint the mural.

“They are a part of the whole process, from concept to completion. There were a lot of rangatahi at the wānanga and so this is theirs.”

He had some spare time during the week and drove out to Waima to help a group paint a mural on a shipping container.

“It was a chance for the rangatahi to have a full go at it all.”

Mr G says he has felt the manaakitanga from Tokomaru Bay — he has been given kaimoana nearly every day and the locals were a bit starstruck.

“Thank you all for the huge manaaki and aroha you have given me and my wife while we have been here.”

Mr G has a massive following worldwide, one of his iconic pieces being the 8m-high mural he painted of the late music legend Prince, in Chanhassen, Minnesota (Prince's home town).

He also carved a specially-designed Mandalorian warrior's helmet out of rākau kauri, commissioned by producers of the hit Star Wars spin-off television series, Bobba Fett, which was presented to the show's star, acclaimed New Zealand actor Temuera Morrison.