Tū te Ao Tū te Pō 2024

Artist: Melissa Robinson-Cole and Rudi Robinson-Cole

Title: Tū te Ao Tū te Pō 2024

Year: 2024

Medium: Wool crochet, hand carved polystyrene and plywood

Dimensions: 600 x 400 x 250mm

Artwork kōrero

Stand by Day, Stand by Night. It is an affirmation of resilience, reminding us that no matter what life asks of us, we have the capacity to remain standing. We stand in times of joy and in times of sorrow. We stand in certainty and in uncertainty. We stand for ourselves, for one another, and for those who are no longer with us.

Created for the kaupapa of Mind That Māori, this wheku invites us to look beyond appearances. Every person carries a story that is often invisible to those around them. Before we judge another, we are invited to see through their eyes. Through understanding another person's journey, we begin to understand their pain, their resilience and the strength it has taken simply to keep standing.

The use of our Tūmanako (black) wool represents the darkness we all encounter throughout our lives. It acknowledges seasons of grief, anxiety, uncertainty and despair, experiences that are often carried silently and unseen.

Our Te Ao Mārama (white) wool represents enlightenment, healing and hope. It reminds us that even in our darkest moments, light is never absent. Sometimes it arrives through whānau. Sometimes through community. Sometimes through simply choosing to stand again tomorrow.

The black and white wool exist together, reflecting the balance of Te Pō and Te Ao Mārama. One gives meaning to the other. Together they remind us that healing is not about escaping darkness, but about discovering the light that can exist within it.

Through standing together, by day and by night, we create space for healing, belonging and hope.