Matariki Print

Open Edition Print by Amber Smith

Dimensions: A3 & A4

A Matariki Blessing 

The Stars of Matariki will guide you in all things -
Come in love, be patient, be at peace.

~ Ko Matariki te whetu hei arataki e
Haere mai i runga i te aroha,
e kia manawanui, kia rangimarie. 
Tuini Ngāwai 

Matariki is a time to reflect upon the past year, and to decide what to achieve moving forward ' Titiro whakamuri, kokiri whakamua - Look back and reflect so you can move forward '

It's a time to remember the loved ones who are no longer with us, and our family who have come before.

This print is about seeing them like stars in the sky - with us, guiding us, as our ancestors or angels. The bond is not broken - We can still feel them with us and honour that connection and memory.

Amber Smith is a printmaker from Nelson who is also well known for her work in ceramics. The imagery that Smith uses in her prints are Amber’s exploration of her wairoa (spirit) and what it means to come from Aotearoa.

I love words and nearly always use them in my work. Maori whakatauki (proverbs) and waiata aroha (songs about the nature of love) have such an emotional resonance that they become part of the image itself.