Palmerston North Boys’ High School’s new mural reflects its focus on brotherhood

The new mural at Palmerston North Boys' High School celebrates brotherhood, relationships and belonging. Photo / Judith Lacy

One boy cradles a seedling, another wears a korowai and the third is ready for life after Palmerston North Boys’ High School.

These different stages of the school journey greet students on their way to assembly each day in the new mural, Riporipo.

Riporipo (ripples) symbolises connectivity and continuity, reaching across generations, head of visual art Kelly Pfeffer-Marshall said.

The mural honours the school as a tapestry of past, present and future, where each student is a thread and a weaver in the school’s fabric.

Eleven students collaborated with Wellington mural artist Heneriata Te Whata.

The Year 10-13 students were selected by their art teachers and represent a range of nationalities.

Part of the project was a guided tour of the city’s murals by Palmy arts ambassador Shaun Kay.

Te Whata and the students crafted four designs inspired by the principles of whakawhanaungatanga – brotherhood, relationships and belonging.

Students, staff and parents then voted for the design they liked best with Riporipo winning.

The three boys depicted in the mural are not based on one person but are a hybrid, Pfeffer-Marshall said.

Palmerston North Boys' High School student Atta Rahim works on the Riporipo mural.

The mural is on the back of the wall protecting canteen seating from the elements.

The outline was projected onto the wall, marked out and the mural brought to life with paint brushed and sprayed on.

It was a tricky canvas as it couldn’t be laid down or turned around. Instead, the artists had to turn themselves, Pfeffer-Marshall said.

Palmerston North Boys' High School student Daniel Fuafiva works on the Riporipo mural.

The school received $14,642 in Creatives in Schools funding.

Creatives in Schools provides learning experiences that develop students’ knowledge and skills in communication, collaboration, and creative thinking and practice.

The programme is delivered by the Ministry of Education in partnership with the Ministry for Culture and Heritage and Creative New Zealand.

The outline of the Riporipo mural is projected onto the wall by the canteen at Palmerston North Boys' High School.

Judith Lacy has been the editor of the Manawatū Guardian since December 2020. She graduated from journalism school in 2001 and this is her second role editing a community paper.