Noku Te Whenua

The title of this work is part of the ancient Maori proverb:

"Noku te whenua, o oku tupuna" 
The land is mine, inherited from my ancestors.

From the sensuous curved river stones of Papatuanuku (earth mother) grows an intricately adorned tree, which describes Sofia’s connection to her whakapapa (genealogy).

Native birds including Pouakai Eagles (extinct c.1400AD), Tui and Piwakawaka (Fantail) bring moments of movement and life to the enduring descendant of Tane (god of the forest).

The small pendants of manaia carvings dangling from high branches each represent a tupuna (ancestor). The manaia is an ancient mythical being with a bird’s head and a human form. It is said to be the messenger between the earthly world of mortals and the domain of the spirits.

Sofia is affiliated with the Ngati Porou iwi (a tribe from the east coast of the North Island). Their sacred proverb of identity is as follows:

Ko Hikurangi te maunga 
Ko Waiapu te awa 
Ko Ngati Porou te iwi 

Hikurangi is the mountain 
Waiapu is the river 
Ngati Porou is the tribe

Incorporating these elements into the work, Hikurangi stands silhouetted on the fiery red horizon and the Waiapu river is seen creeping over the rocks in an intricate koru design.

“Noku Te Whenua” explores the beauty and significance of land and ancestry to Maori.

Click here for Limited Edition Print of "Noku Te Whenua" - $750