On Longing

'Kotahitanga' Carved mdf board and chain links. 2007

Kotahitanga

To gain true Independence we must realize that we are all dependant on each other.

Government policies try to make us all individuals so we are always reliant on them. They segregate us and try to put us in rectangle boxes. When you are inside the box, they know that they have better control of you. However there are many throughout the land that get out of the box. They are the ones that find unity with others. Who express themselves for what they believe in. They are leaders, they are Maaori and Pakeha of New Zealand with a understanding of unity. These people are what government calls terrorists.

These contemporary poupou represent the unity of Maaori and Paakeha. Maaori are represented in the whakarei (design) patterns and the materials used (mdf and brass links) represent the modern world of the Paakeha. Standing together there is an aesthetic wow. The government are represented with the rectangular box shapes.