Puanga stories in art

Artist Wi Taepa and the students of Room 8 at Tawhero School with their Sea To Sky exhibition at Trafalgar Square. Photo/Anne-Marie McDonald

The stories of Puanga-Matariki are woven into the fabric of Tawhero School's artwork, currently on display at Trafalgar Square.

The art exhibition, Sea To Sky, was formally opened at the shopping centre last week. It will remain there through the Puanga season.

Tawhero principal Chris Dibben said ceramicist Wi Taepa and weaver Tanya Milne worked with pupils from Room 8 for a week to create the artworks.

"We're very impressed by what they've come up with."

Ms Milne said making art on a Puanga theme gave her the opportunity to teach the students about the traditions around Puanga.

"They learned that Puanga is a time for harvesting, and for remembering our ancestors," she said.

Ms Milne and the students made the centrepiece of the exhibition, the waka hourua [two-hulled boat with an inverted sail] with cardboard, wood, paper - and a sprinkling of glitter.

With Mr Taepa, the students made manu aute, or kites. He said the kids were keen to learn.

"It's hands-on, there are stories being told, and we used materials like crayon and cardboard that they're used to. Some of the bigger kites had the kids working in groups, so they had to learn about teamwork."

Mr Taepa said the art was a "vehicle for the Puanga stories".

Manu aute were often used at Puanga time, and had many stories and traditions around them.

"When you were flying kites there were certain songs that you used to get the kites into the sky. There were often seven kites in the sky at one time, to represent the seven sisters of Matariki.

Sea To Sky was supported by the Wanganui Community Arts Centre.