Funding

August 25, 2019

Funding

Funding - Maori History and heroes

One of things I would like funding for is to create a series of works based around Maori myths and heros. At the moment I am creating a painting of New Zealand heroine Ahumi Te Paerata, a women who was apart of the moari resistance during the land wars during the early 1800s, I would like to expand this into a series of works focusing on Moari heros and heroine, ones like Ahumi Te Paerata ones that have often been forgotten by history and society.

In the series I would also like to parody the work of Lester Hall who is a controversial New Zealand artist often known for his depiction of moari culture and subject matter, especially his portrayal of Ahumi Te Paerata. While the act of representing Ahumai Te paerata isn’t itself the issue its the way he has represented her as a perky breasted curvy maori women wearing a blanket around her waist, Maori wouldn’t portray their tupina like this. Her portrayal falls into the category of Jezebel, a stereotype used during slavery as a rationalization for sexual relations between white men and black women, especially sexual unions involving slavers and slaves, that were rape however it was viewed as just sex as a black women is inherently sexual. The Jezebel was depicted as a black/indegounious woman with an insatiable appetite for sex and was often portrayed exposed highlighting her sexuality. While Lester most likely never intended to represent Te Paerata in such a way his refusal to engage with Maori who explain to him why the image is such an issue he refuses to listen, you see Lester Hall isn’t Maori but a white man who has used and portrayed many maori figures, and techniques however refuses to engage with maori when he uses these aspects in a way that perpetuates stereotypes and disrespects a Maori hero. From this depiction there are many things that I can learn not to do, for one while I will be portraying Te paerata as a young woman I will not be presenting her as a pinup girl with exposed breasts and a twisted body to show of her curves. One thing that I do like about the image though is the use of text however I wouldn’t put it on her body, but instead place the quote she said "Ki te mate ngā tāne, me mate anō ngā wāhine me ngā tamariki!" somewhere within the canvas, the inclusion of a war weapon such as a Patu was a nice touch however the way it is placed within the work makes it seem more like a pretty accessory rather than a weapon wielded for war.

In expanding the series I hope to change minds and expose people to new sides of history that they may not have known about, through an illustrated artbook and a series of prints/paintings. I planed on titling it remember us, remember that we once lived however in Maori titling it mahara, maumahara i a tatou i ora ai to directly play on Lester Halls ti