Ko te kupenga ā Māui

Artist: Pānia Witoko

Title: Ko te kupenga ā Māui

Medium: Harakeke, woven

Dimensions: 167cm x 98cm

Artwork kōrero

Inspired by the pūrākau of Māui and his brothers, Te Kupenga a Māui tells of a time when Tamanui-te-rā raced across the sky, leaving too little light for people to complete their work and live fully in the day.

Māui saw the need for change. With his brothers, he travelled to the place where the Sun rose. There they fashioned strong taura from harakeke and set their ropes, waiting for Tamanui-te-rā to appear. As the Sun rose, they captured and held him, slowing his journey across the sky.

In this work, the kupenga becomes both net and metaphor - a woven holding that slows the Sun and stretches time. The plaited harakeke taura speaks to the strength, ingenuity and collective determination of Māui and his brothers.

A pūrākau of light, transformation and the courage to change the way things have always been.