Karaka

Original Carved Painting by Hikurangi Edwards.

Dimensions: 200 x 200 x 50 mm

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.