In Māori tradition and cosmology, Hine-wai-etoeto (often written as Hinewaietoeto) is the personification and elemental guardian of evaporation, representing the sacred process where liquid water turns to vapour and rises back to the sky.
Hikurangi meticulously hand-carves into layers upon layers of paint from her Wellington studio, a technique she calls mahi whakairo peita. Often guided by her tīpuna, she uses contrasting colours to acknowledge contemporary lifestyles, whilst telling stories of the past, present, & future. The soft, yet confident curves of the koru give depth & texture, drawing you in to an art that must be touched. All of which speaks to the dichotomy of the two worlds she navigates.
