83 x 34cm excluding cord In the heart of this artwork “Te Rua Pātiki” lies a journey through the spiritual embrace of Matariki, the Māori New Year, encapsulated within the woven threads of this blue kakahu (Māori cloak). This artwork is an homage to the ancestral knowledge and cosmic connections that Matariki embodies, a sacred time that marks the appearance of the Pleiades star cluster in the winter sky, marking a period of reflection, remembrance, and renewal. Each thread intertwines to narrate the stories of the arrival of the 7 waka,Tainui, Te Arawa, Mātaatua, Kurahaupō, Tokomaru, Aotea and Tākitimu, their voyages guided by the stars. Through the intertwined threads of Te Rua Pātiki we are invited to wrap ourselves in the uplifting embrace of our ancestors, and to awaken to the interconnectedness of life. Symbolising the cycle of life, death and rebirth, the tears of Ranginui for Papatūānuku, and the promise of a new dawn illuminated by the stars of Matariki. This kakahu is a call to gaze upwards and remember that we are part of a larger narrative.
