The Tūmoana sculpture, is a collaboration between Te Rarawa artists, Dave Snowden and Arapeta Barber. Photo/Myjanne Jensen
The Tūmoana sculpture, is a collaboration between Te Rarawa artists, Dave Snowden and Arapeta Barber. Photo/Myjanne Jensen
Around 200 people gathered for the unveiling and blessing of yet another new cultural gateway into Ahiparapara at the weekend.
The large crowd braved the chilly Saturday morning event, kicking off at 6.30am at Roma Rd, near Roma Marae.
Te Rarawa artists Dave Snowden and Arapeta Barber created the 'Tūmoana'and 'Pōroa' tomokanga (gateway), inspired by their tūpuna (ancestors) of the same names.
Te Rarawa kaumātua and iwi chairman Haami Piripi led the ceremony while several people, including the artists themselves, spoke about the history and significance of the kōrero (stories) behind the gateway.
Te Rarawa artists Dave Snowden (left) and Arapeta Barber (right) in front of the Tūmoana sculpture. Photo/Myjanne Jensen
A haka was also performed by local rangatahi (young people) to close the event.
The artwork forms part of the Te Hiku Open Spaces Revitalisation Project, designed to feature a range of cultural artworks at the gateway entrances to various Te Hiku townships.
A haka performed by local rangatahi (young people) at the close of the unveiling on Saturday. Photo/Myjanne Jensen
Both carvings weigh 2.5 tonnes (Tumoana) and 1.5 tonnes (Pōroa) respectively and required a hiab truck crane to place them at the site.
They also feature aluminium and corten steel for the taurapa (stern-piece of a waka/canoe).
Snowden said it was a privilege to create an artwork in honour of his ancestors and for future generations to come.
The Pōroa sculpture is the second part of the new tomokanga (gateway) located at Roma Road, near Roma Marae at Ahiparapara. Photo/Myjanne Jensen
"I'm so lucky to have been able to make these for my hometown," Snowden said.
"The taurapa on the sculptures have been used as a metaphor for travel and waka," Snowden said.
"In terms of the stone, I visited all the quarries around here and Whangārei but couldn't find anything big enough, so eventually I got these shipped up from Oamaru."
Both artists worked on their art pieces individually from home, which Barber said had required extra creativity to ensure the gateway sculptures worked in harmony.
He felt they had achieved that goal and hoped they served to inspire the next generation of rangatahi (young people) to aim even higher.
"We were working in two different spaces, so we had to do the best we could to communicate to put them together," Barber said.
"Like our tūpuna, these strive for the betterment of our people and to take art to another level.
"Our drive was to get these to the stage, that we inspired the next generation to go beyond us so that our minds never stop creating."
L-R: Andrea Panther, Haami Piripi, Adele Gardner, John Paitai, Te Taitokerau MP Kelvin Davis, Tui Te Paa and Donna Beatson. Photo/Myjanne Jensen.
The unveiling of Tūmoana and Pōroa comes after the unveiling of another cultural gateway created by Te Rarawa artist BJ Natanahira last month.
Natanahira's two sculptures are situated outside the Te Rarawa Rugby Club on Ahipara Road and just before Ahipara School.
Meanwhile, the opening of a new cultural gateway into Kaitāia was also opened the week prior.
The unveiling and blessing of the new 'Orongo', a grouping of carved 'tumu' located near the southern entrance to Kaitaia on Moerua Park, was held on Friday, July 29.
The $100k artwork was the collaborative effort of nine local carvers - six from Te Rarawa and three from Ngāti Kahu - who worked for more than 1500 hours to create the piece from a workshop in Parapara.
The nine artists behind the collective grouping of tumu, 'Orongo' unveiled in Kaitaia on July 29. Photo/Supplied.
According to the working group cultural advisor/iwi liaison and Te Rarawa kaumātua John Paitai, the collective taonga (treasure) referred to one of the older names for Kaitāia, 'Orongotea', and the history behind the name.
It also made reference to 'Rongo' (God of Peace), symbolising strength and unity.
