A gentle feminine touch can clearly be seen in some of the panels of Te Manawaroa – the multipurpose centre on the first floor of the new University of Waikato Tauranga campus. focus reached out to Maraea Timutimu, Melissa Willison and Teresa Nepia to learn more about their artworks.
Nine panels of Te Manawaroa all have their unique and independent narratives. What’s the story behind your particular artworks?
MARAEA: My tukutuku panel is second on the left and is called Pātiki (flounder). This fish is very special to my whānau, Tauranga Moana and te ao Māori. My grandfather, Te Hauoterangi Dickson (Billy), used to fish for flounder in Waipu Bay, while I would sit and watch into the darkness from my grandparent’s windows, down to the water for his oil lantern. This form of gathering food, and the flounder itself, is why I’ve chosen this pattern. It connects me to my grandfather, to a specific time in my life and to a specific place – Matapihi, where I was raised and where I now live.
MELISSA AND TERESA: At first we were given different briefs for our panels, which are on either side of the middle Pou, but we have collaborated before and were happy to put our heads together again. We spent a couple of days in our whare tīpuna, sprawled out on mattresses on the floor, getting inspiration from Tamatea, the legendary New Zealand explorer. Being a Kīngitanga marae, we knew that first and foremost we wanted to ensure that we acknowledged Waikato Tainui. The top tukutuku is an acknowledgment to Tainui, the Kīngitanga and the relationship between our iwi and hapū; the middle one is specific to Ngāi Tamarāwaho; and the bottom tukutuku reflects the three iwi of Tauranga Moana through the legend of Mauao.
TERESA: Both my daughter and niece are currently studying at the Tauranga campus, so it’s very special knowing that they – and many more of our whānau – will see that those Te Manawaroa tukutuku are so closely connected to them.
Melissa and Teresa, how did you first meet and start working together?
TERESA: Our grandparents live right next door to each other and to the marae. Both our whānau are close, from our grandparents down to our own children, so it all happened very naturally.
Was art always a big part of your life?
MELISSA: I always liked to draw. Wanting to learn more, I enrolled on an arts course at Waiariki Institute of Technology (now Toi Ohomai) and got to dabble in a few art mediums – drawing, painting, photography, clay, carving and weaving. I do a bit of graphic designing as well.
TERESA: My nan told me that creativity is a gift from my great-great-great-grandfather Hoori Ngatai – he taonga kei tāku ringa. I grew up around people who were naturally talented!
MARAEA: Art wasn’t really a part of my life until well into my mid-20s. After studying for two years at the University of Auckland, I moved home and completed a Diploma in Fashion at Bay of Plenty Polytechnic (now Toi Ohomai). It was the best thing I ever did! I knew as soon as I started this course that I would pursue a creative pathway.
TERESA AND MELISSA (CENTRE AND RIGHT), WITH SYLVIA WILLISON (ADVISOR TO THE CAMPUS ARTS PROJECT).
Are you full-time artists now?
TERESA: I work at Te Manu Toroa as the Executive Assistant to the Chief Operations Officer. It’s a large kaupapa Māori health and wellbeing provider
in Tauranga Moana. I absolutely love what I do and I’m truly passionate about Māori wellbeing. But when creative projects come up, I always make myself available! It’s an honour to create work on behalf of our people.
MARAEA: I’m a full-time art teacher at Western Heights High School in Rotorua. I teach junior art and senior photography.
MELISSA: I wish! Lol. I work full-time for Huria Trust, a kaupapa Māori marae- hapū-based organisation. One of my tasks is to coordinate the bookings
for the marae. I feel blessed to work here as it makes me think of my koro who worked for his people, and of my mother who works tirelessly for her hapū.
Besides the University of Waikato Tauranga campus, where else can we see your artworks?
MARAEA: The ceiling panels at the main lounge of Tauranga Airport were created by me! There are also some works at Toi Ohomai, Windermere Campus, and quite a few are coming in 2020, including a special commission for Auckland Museum.
TERESA: Inside our whare tīpuna. Melissa and I have designed the stained glass windows.
MELISSA: I’m currently working on whānau Korowai and another small project as well.